In Your Eyes
by ValerieGrace
Summary: You can tell a lot from looking into someone’s eyes. At first sight, you may only see an eyes simple color but if you look closer you’d see regret, wisdom, and maybe even heartbreak. TxG
1. A Warm Welcome

Hello fanfictioneters! No, I do not know if that's a word and if it's not, it is now :)

The name is Valerie and I've decided to write a sweet, amazing, incredible, outstanding (you get the point) story.

Actually I dont know if it is any of those, I'll let you be the judge.

I love reviews hint hint, wink wink, cough cough. (once again, I think you get the point)

**Disclaimer** I do not own Disney's characters, Britney Spear's _Hit Me Baby One More Time_ or Sing It Loud's _Come Around_

Anyways, here's the first chapter of my story, **In Your Eyes**.

* * *

**A Warm Welcome**

You can tell a lot from looking into someone's eyes. At first sight, you may only see an eye's simple color but if you look closer you'd see regret, wisdom, and maybe even heartbreak. Look closer than that and you may just see all of that person's life experiences.

Gabriella's eyes are the color of chocolate; they're caring, and gentle. There was never any hate in her eyes. If you look into them you can see your future, in those bright brown eyes. Her eyes just have the gift to give hope to people when they need it the most. She never wanted it to be this way but that's just how it always worked out. Gabriella saves people, maybe not literally but emotionally and it's as simple as looking into those breathtaking brown eyes. She's strong, independent, never letting anyone make up her mind except herself.

Her eyes, her heart, her personality, would never break for anyone, she had decided when she was younger. Plans change and people change and after all, she decided this long before she had come face to face with those piercing cobalt eyes that belonged to Troy Bolton.

* * *

When her father suggested a move to get away from his haunting past she had no choice but to follow after all, he was basically all she had.

Miles and miles away from what they were both accustomed to, the air blew through Gabriella's dark brown curls as she sat in the passenger seat of her fathers convertible. They'd recently turned off of what seemed to be a never ending ride on a never ending highway. The small car trailed shortly behind a Uhaul truck that was filled with cardboard boxes. Cardboard boxes that held their lives, all put together in such a tiny space. Gabriella was surprised how very few important things she owned.

The hot air warmed her skin and the ocean breeze tickled at her nose. She decided that she was going to call this an adventure since it was something far new than anything she'd ever experienced in her lifetime. So desperately she wanted to get out of the car and as if an answer to her prayers, the car made a turn into a driveway. Having surveyed the neighborhood before they pulled in, they both agreed that it was fairly nice. Fairly nice being the friendly looking environment filled with kindhearted neighbors which was something both Gabriella and Daniel needed. The house looked like a beach house because it practically was with a wrap around porch on the ground level and a balcony extending from the room that would be hers. It wasn't too big, but wasn't too small. Basically, the light blue house was perfect for Gabriella and her father.

"So… what do you think?" Daniel Montez asked apprehensively, seeking his daughter's approval.

"What do I think…" Gabriella countered, tapping her chin playfully. "We live in walking distance from the beach, the house is amazingly gorgeous, and you're sitting here asking me what I'm thinking?!" Gabriella giggled. "Gosh, I've got leg cramps."

Daniel chuckled and shook his head at his daughter's sense of humor. Sometimes she was exactly like him. But her looks he observed belonged to her mother.

"Yeah I'm pretty beat so let's save the unpacking for later?" He said as he stopped the car and stepped out into the gravel driveway. He could smell the ocean.

"Would it be ok if I walked around for a bit?" Gabriella asked, her eyes pleading, knowing her father could not say no to the look on her face.

Daniel sighed, "Be back at a reasonable time." He wondered how she even possessed the energy to do anything. They had been driving for a few days and even though it was one four o'clock, it felt like it could have easily been eleven o'clock and he needed to sleep.

"Of course," Gabriella said with a nod. Having taken several pit stops earlier that day, Gabriella trusted that her appearance didn't look too bad but then again, when did it ever? She reached into the back of her father's convertible pulling forth an old backpack that was holding a few changes of clothes and her necessities to make it through the day. Taking out her cell phone just in case she got lost, she walked up her driveway that she had recently entered and began walking along the block taking in the scenery.

Just like she had thought, the neighborhood was beautiful. Once she turned up the block she could see the ocean. She couldn't believe she'd have a view like that from her very own balcony. From where she was she could make out a semi-crowded board walk and teenagers her age hanging around there.

_Everything would be different._

Her father had warned her of this ahead of time; but was too much of a difference too much of a change…much too soon? Gabriella shook her head, she was simply confusing herself now when all she really wanted to do at the moment was see what there was to do around here. She felt a grumbling sensation in her stomach. Saying that she was hungry was an understatement.

Quickly feeling around her jean pockets, Gabriella pulled out a small wad of bills. As she neared the boardwalk her eyes searched around the shore shops for a place to grab a bite to eat. It didn't take long for her to find a place, right on the corner of the boardwalk. The moment she saw it she couldn't pick any other place. Gabriella didn't know why but it reminded her of the places she'd see back at home. A small quaint diner by the beach. Yeah, she could get used to this.

But what she couldn't get used to was the group of girls on the corner of the boardwalk, leaning against the railing. With their nasty glares, sun kissed skin and gorgeous surfer type guys who were standing nearby. As she passed them, Gabriella kept her eyes glued to her feet, trying to avoid any kind of confrontation.

"New meat," One of the boys spoke up, a devious grin evident on his face. He had tan skin and bright blond hair as blinding as the sun itself. He was shirtless and wearing a pair of board shorts.

Gabriella looked up, a bit nervous at first. These people were not the type of people she would end up being friends with.

One of the girls rolled their eyes at the boy and looked kind of friendly for a moment. That moment was extremely brief. "She's trash, Caleb, not worth it," She said with a venomous look,fishing for a reaction.

What were their problems? She hadn't even said anything to them and they were picking a fight with her. Six girls and four guys obviously outnumbered one, so what were they trying to prove?

"That doesn't mean I can't have my fun," The blond boy said, pushing himself from the railing, gradually creeping closer to Gabriella who had paused from walking.

* * *

At school Troy was a legend. Everyone knew his name and the talent he possessed when stepping on to the basketball court. He didn't ask for attention, he just got it wherever he went. People knew better than to mess with Troy Bolton, that's the way it had always been. Many would be surprised though if they found out that he secretly had a music talent as well. He wrote songs to release emotions that he held inside and loved the feeling of his fingers brushing over the raw strings on a guitar. But no one except Chad and Sharpay knew this.

Troy was popular not only at school, but with the girls as well. He never cared for serious relationships because he never felt the need to be involved in one. He knew it was easier that way. He had never really wanted a relationship with anyone, that is, until he met Gabriella Montez.

Chad's cell phone blared loudly, causing Troy to lose his ideas running through his head that occured whenever he picked up a guitar.

"Chad, I swear, if she calls one more time I'll snap the phone in half," Troy growled. Chad rolled his eyes but he knew Troy would actually do it. He also knew that he couldn't control how impatient his girlfriend could be when she didn't know what plans they had. Swiftly, he grabbed his phone and left the room, hating the usual looks of disgust Troy gave him for rather talking to his girlfriend than his best friend.

Troy sat back in the empty kitchen of the dinner that belonged to Chad's mother. Currently it was completely quiet, without its normal loudness that came from being crowded regularly. Haley Danforth had chose to close up early that day, leaving it to Chad and Troy who were trusted by themselves in the diner.

Chad reentered the room, "Shar's on her way here now."

"Great," Troy said sarcastically, but of course he was only joking. Though Sharpay Evans could be very annoying at times, he loved her like a sister and since they hung out all the time, she practically was.

They were finally falling into their normal schedule once again, now that it was summer. School had let out the week before and Troy, his best friend Chad, and Chad's girlfriend, Sharpay, were spending the summer how they always did, just hanging around.

Chad shook his head smiling, knowing that if Sharpay heard the comments Troy made about her when they were by themselves, she'd flip out. Lucky for Troy, she wasn't around. "I'm going to clean this place up a bit, you know, get on my mom's good side," Chad said with a laugh, recalling the last time he had talked to his stressed mother. The summer rush at the diner always made her a little hectic.

Troy laughed along with him. "Good idea. I'll just be back here if you need help." He said, picking up his guitar once again, putting his hands back in position. "Not like I'd give it to you, but I'm just saying," Troy smirked.

* * *

"Quit it Cal, leave her alone," Another girl who seemed to come out of nowhere, said. She looked at the group of teenagers that were bothering Gabriella with disgust. "You're all pathetic," She hissed.

The girls rolled their eyes and walked away with the group of boys, Caleb following after them.

Gabriella eyed the blond girl who had stood up for her without even knowing her. She wore pink flip flops, a denim skirt and a pink tank top that was covering up a bikini. Her long blond hair was pulled up in a sloppy bun on top of her head.

"I haven't seen you around here before…" She said whilst studying the brunette. "I'm Sharpay and if you are new here, stay away from them," Sharpay told her, gesturing over her shoulder, towards the people who had recently left. "They're bad news."

"I'm Gabriella." She smiled shyly. "Yeah I am new here, I'm just looking around for the first time today. Thanks for that-"

"No need to thank," Sharpay said with a shrug as if it were no big deal at all. "Well I was heading to get something to eat," She said while turning towards the diner that Gabriella was initially headed. When Gabriella didn't move, Sharpay stopped. "You coming new girl?"

She nodded and smiled. Maybe this wasn't going to be as hard as she thought it would be. _Starting over, that is_.

The inside of _Danforth's Diner_ was empty. Gabriella figured that Sharpay had been there before as she watched her climbed on top of the counter, taking a seat.

"Chad!" She called out. "Chad? Are you in here?" She flashed Gabriella a reassuring smile. "Make yourself at home."

Just as Gabriella tried to make herself less nervous, a boy around their age came out from behind the counter of the kitchen. The first thing she noticed about any person was of course, their eyes. Studying the athletic-looking boy's eyes she immediately saw what she thought was welcoming. He had unruly hair styled up as an afro, his skin a darker shade, and was wearing basketball shorts and a tank top. The boy rushed up to the blond Gabriella had met moments ago and swept her up into his arms, planting a kiss on her lips affectionately. Sharpay blushed slightly, hitting his shoulder.

"Don't be rude!" She said with an embarrassed laugh. Chad noticed Gabriella and smiled awkwardly.

"Uh hey, sorry," he laughed. "I'm Chad and you are.."

The sound was drowned out to Gabriella. She could only hear the soft strumming of a guitar and the most amazing voice she'd ever heard singing along with the melody. Only one word came to mind, _amazing_.

"_I'm all tied up and I'm trying my best to get down, come on girl, come around come around_," the voice sang along with the guitar.

"What, I mean, who is that?" Gabriella asked, mesmerized.

Chad laughed a little since he was used to this reaction from girls when it came to his best friend, Troy. Some people would be surprised of how great he actually was because he was known as a talented basketball player instead.

"Hey singer boy!" Sharpay yelled back towards the kitchen and waited until the music stopped. "Why don't you come out here and meet my new friend and whip us up some burgers?"

The boy groaned, exiting the kitchen while holding onto his guitar. "Sure anything for you, Shar," He said sarcastically, getting ready to say something else but stopped when he saw Gabriella. "Wow."

_Wow_? What was that supposed to mean? Sharpay rolled her eyes and put a protective arm around Gabriella's slim shoulders.

"Don't even think about it, Troy," Sharpay told him, knowing that he could be player at times. A new girl didn't deserve to have her heart broken. "Chad, Troy, this is Gabriella." Chad nodded, his own way of greeting someone while Troy just continued to stare. "Gabriella, these are the two idiots I call best friends," She giggled as Chad playfully bumped her with his hip.

"That's not what you were calling me last night."

Her face reddened again. "That's something you shouldn't be repeating."

Troy chuckled at his friends but couldn't stop staring at Gabriella. She was exotic looking to him, different from all of the beach locals who were mostly blond and all looked the same but she was different. Different in a good way. Meanwhile Gabriella was hooked on Troy's eyes and that spectacular voice. All she wanted to do was look into those blue eyes that reminded her of the ocean she had seen earlier, and listen to that voice that could easily soothe her.

"So, do you play?" Gabriella asked, breaking the silence since Chad and Sharpay were now off in their own worlds.

"Uh, what?"

Gabriella laughed nervously. "The guitar…"

Troy felt his cheeks warm a little and scratched the back of his neck. _Was Troy Bolton nervous_? "Yeah I guess you could say that."

"Why don't you play me something?"

"What?"

She smiled warmly, beginning to feel more comfortable around the people she had just met. They were a lot less threatening than Caleb and the girls she'd encountered outside of the diner. "You don't have to if you don't want to."

Troy glanced over to see Chad looking at Sharpay suggestively.

"I think we're going to head out," Chad told Troy, his hand was holding on to Sharpay's. He was already leading her to the door of the diner.

"Wait!" Sharpay felt guilty, ditching Gabriella. "Gabi, are you ok here with Troy?"

Gabriella felt a smile form on her face. She had just moved here about an hour ago and someone already had a nickname for her. She opened her mouth to reply but Troy beat her to it.

"She's fine Shar, go ahead."

Chad flashed Troy a quick lopsided appreciative grin. "Lock up, would yah?"

Troy nodded and the two said their goodbyes and left him with someone he really didn't know but was dying to get to know better.

"What did he mean, lock up?" Gabriella asked as Troy began making sure the counters were clean along with the tables.

Troy paused. "This is his mom's diner."

Her mouth formed into an "O" shape and felt awkward hanging around with someone she didn't know, watching him clean. "Do you need help?"

Troy looked up for a moment to make sure that this girl was real. He didn't know any girls around here who would volunteer to do work, let alone clean. "Nope."

She bit her lip. "Maybe I should head home."

"No!" Troy said louder than he intended and covered it up with nervous laughter. He coughed clearing his throat. "I mean… you're hungry, right? Let's go get something to eat, I mean if that's ok with you?"

Those blue eyes convinced her, besides she needed to know some people around here. "Yeah I'd love to."

* * *

Before Gabriella knew it, she had been out for about four hours. The time just kept flying by and she easily lost track of it. The sun had set and it was around 8:30 and now she and Troy were singing while walking on the beach like a couple who had one too many to drink. But they hadn't had anything to drink at all, they were just having fun, not caring what anyone else thought. For anyone who saw them, they might think that they've known each other for awhile when in reality, they had only met a few hours ago. After hanging out with Gabriella, Troy realized she was a lot more complex than he thought she was going to be which just made him interested in her even more. He made a note in his mind to thank Sharpay for bringing her to him. He barely knew her at all but she already had him hooked.

"_Tell me baby because I need to know now oh because_," She yelled obnoxiously, not caring about the people who were looking at them like they had serious issues.

Troy laughed and slid into the sand on his knees, "_My loneliness is killing me_."

Gabriella sang backup. "_And I…_"

"_I must confess, I still believe_," Troy sang high pitched, causing Gabriella to burst out laughing once again.

"_When I'm not with you a lose my mind, give me a sign _Gabriella!" Troy said pointing to her to finish the song.

She twirled, letting her curls dance in the wind. "_Hit me baby one more time_!"

Troy pretended to wipe a tear from his eye. "Incredible, seriously, incredible," He applauded dramatically, falling to the sand, lying on his back. His white polo pulled up a little, revealing the beginning of his toned abs to Gabriella who pretended not to stare. He sighed and looked up at the night sky. "So now that we've ate and performed," He laughed, "Tell me why I haven't seen you before."

Gabriella sat down and crossed her legs, looking out at the crashing waves. "I just moved here about five hours ago."

"What?" He was surprised.

"Yeah I know it feels like it's been days already," Gabriella laughed a little, trying not to feel so homesick.

Troy sat up, "Where are you from?"

"Albuquerque, New Mexico."

"Ah, you're from the _west_ side," He smirked. "I should have known."

"Oh really? What's that supposed to mean?" Gabriella asked, her eyes narrowing.

Troy nudged her shoulder playfully almost knocking her over doing so. "You're different." It was something that he already liked about her. She didn't care what anyone else thought about her and a girl like that was hard to find. She frowned, a little confused. "It's a good different, Brie."

Nickname number two. Today felt unreal to Gabriella. Maybe she _would_ have actual friends here.

"How?" She asked him with a questioning look.

"You're real."

Gabriella laughed but her laughter died down when she realized he was being serious. "What are people…not real here?"

Troy remained silent, staring at the ocean then he faced her with a slight smile on his features. He shrugged nonchalantly. "Welcome to Jacksonville."

Jacksonville, Florida. Her new _home_.


	2. Exposed and You're my Weakness

Hello! Hi! Hola! Bon Jour! Guten Tag!

Just to start off I'd like to say omgielug.

I didn't expect you to know what that meant, considering I just made it up. But...

Oh My God I Effing Love You Guys.

Like I said before, I love reviews and you guys just warmed my heart... kidding. I'm not even hyper, I'm just like this sometimes **;)**

So I decided I'm going to atleast try and update every other day and if I'm in a really good mood, maybe everyday.

You know the drill,

Stop,

Drop,

And review.

**Disclaimer **I don't own most of these characters, just the story line. I also do not own Sing It Loud's _Come Around_

Bye! Tootles! Au Revoir! Ciao! Adios! Ha det (Norwegian)!

* * *

**Exposed and You're My Weakness**

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. If a picture is worth a thousand… how much is a memory worth? Could a single memory, maybe even a small one, something with little importance, be worth one million words? Now, what if the picture was a memory? After all, isn't that what a picture's purpose is? To _capture_ memories. Would that be 1,000 words multiplied by 1 million?

Gabriella's head was beginning to hurt.

An entire week had passed and Gabriella and Daniel Montez were still getting settled into their new house. Throughout the week that was spent unpacking, Gabriella also took time to hang out with her new friends. After hanging out with Troy her first night in Florida, they both exchanged cell phone numbers. She found that she enjoyed spending time with her new found friends Sharpay, Chad, and of course, Troy. Though she felt connected to Sharpay since they basically completed each other, being opposites, Gabriella felt the strongest connection with Troy. She didn't know why but whenever she was around him all she wanted to do was learn more about him. He was a mystery wrapped up all in himself, hidden behind those incredible eyes.

They got along well, too, as if they'd known each other much longer than a week. Troy could be himself around Gabriella which was hard from him to do with anyone else.

Currently, Gabriella was picking through cardboard boxes that contained her and Daniel's belongings. Unpacking was taking a lot more time than Gabriella had initially expected. But maybe it was supposed to. After all, those boxed held pieces of their lives together, filled with memories that were wanted while others weren't welcomed at all…

When her father pulled out his old yearbook, she recognized it immediately.

She remembered being only seven-years-old climbing on top of a chair she had taken from their kitchen in order to reach the top shelf in their coat closet. Distinctly, she remembered discarding her soccer cleats there after one of the league games. Instead of finding one of her tattered shoes crusted with mud, she found a sleek black book which she'd never seen before. With no curiosity, she simply placed it back. Now, she was much more interested in her father's past.

"Who is this?" Gabriella asked as she flipped through the pages and saw a particular picture of her father and someone that she wasn't quite sure of.

Daniel stopped shuffling through boxes to see what his daughter had pointed out. When his eyes caught sight of a picture of him and an old friend, he could feel his heartbreak. He frowned slightly, leaning in to get a better look at the picture.

"Oh that's Haley," He said in a monotone then went back to emptying boxes. Gabriella eyed her father suspiciously. Was that all he was going to say?

"Who was she?"

Daniel Montez sighed, "She was my best friend." He cringed slightly recollecting his thoughts about her. She had brown eyes and darker skin that glowed. He had known her since he was four but hadn't seen her since he was around his daughter's age. Everything had changed when Gabriella's mother told him that she was going to be having his child. Most of his friends had left for college, leaving Albuquerque behind in the dust, and he hadn't seen them since. With that said, he closed the year book and discarded it in a pile that they both claimed as 'worthless junk'. It was just a fading memory to him.

* * *

"Bolton!" Chad yelled rather loudly, breaking Troy out of his daze.

The two were on the basketball court, the black top scorching from the summer sun that attacked the enclosed area on days like this. Days like these were never ending to Troy. After playing a one on one game of basketball, Troy collapsed dramatically on the sideline, feeling his face burn.

He wanted to do something entertaining.

Why was it that nothing seemed entertaining anymore unless it involved Gabriella Montez? Troy groaned involuntarily. Why couldn't this girl escape his mind? He wanted to tell himself to stop thinking about her, that she was just like any other girl but he knew that was wrong. She wasn't anything like anyone he'd ever met. Her laugh, a gesture so simple, made him smile upon hearing it. The way her face contorted when Chad made one of his obnoxious jokes was another thing that he liked about her. Another thing he liked was the way she walked with such confidence she probably didn't even know she possessed.

"Bolton…" Chad attempted to gain his friends attention once again. "You still in the land of the living?"

_Nope, long gone_.

Troy grunted, too hot and too frustrated with the heat to answer. He licked his dry lips. "We should hit the beach today."

"You read my mind."

* * *

Gabriella was working on arranging her new room when her cell phone began ringing annoyingly. Her face lit up with hope as she wished that it would be Troy. She frowned, confusion etched on her face when she read the unfamiliar number flashing on the screen.

"Hello?"

"Hey! Get your ass to the beach," A peppy voice demanded.

Gabriella bit her bottom lip. "Uhm, who is this?"

She heard laughter on the other end of the phone. "It's Sharpay, Troy gave me your number. Speaking of…I want details! What did you do to get him grinning like a little-"

"Shar, shut up!" Gabriella heard a voice yell in the background. She assumed that it belonged to Chad.

Gabriella giggled as Sharpay began to speak once more. "Anyway like I was saying, we're hanging out at the beach, you should come. Meet us at the diner."

"Diner…got it," Gabriella confirmed as she began thinking about what she would wear. Never in her life had she felt the need to impress someone but with Troy it was different. From the beginning they automatically clicked, like they had known each other their whole lives.

She dug through one of her boxes of clothes that was yet to be unpacked until she found a bikini and something to wear over it. She pulled the light blue sun dress over her white bikini, slipping on a pair of flip flops.

"Dad?" Gabriella called while racing down the stairs while holding her beach bag. "Dad?" She said softer when she saw him on the couch, studying the yearbook intently once again.

"Yeah?" Daniel Montez said, his eyes never leaving the book.

"I'm going to go out for a little, is that ok?"

He nodded. "Have fun."

She was planning to.

* * *

Troy yawned, glancing over at Sharpay and Gabriella who had been lying with their backs towards the sun, soaking up its intense rays for the past hour. He didn't understand how they could spend hours doing absolutely nothing. He was unbelievably bored and he figured Chad was as well.

"Not that this isn't fun," Troy said with a hint of sarcasm in his voice, "But wouldn't you rather swim?" Chad gave him a warning look that said 'Stop talking now', but Troy didn't catch on. "It's so hot and you two are just laying there." He let the sand he had gathered in his hands fall through his fingers.

"Your point, Bolton?" Sharpay said, sitting up.

"It's too nice to be laying around?" Troy sounded unsure, afraid of Sharpay's looks that could kill.

"I think Troy's right for once," Sharpay rose to her feet slowly, brushing off sand. "How about we get some lunch?"

Chad followed her lead, standing up. "Sharpay and I will run to the diner for some burgers, we'll be right back."

Gabriella could practically hear her stomach grumble with the mention of food. Laying out in the sun always had made her hungry.

She could hear the clapping of Sharpay's sandals against her feet, knowing that she and Chad had already left.

"Brie?"

"Yes?" This time Gabriella suppressed a yawn.

"Come with me?" Troy half asked, half demanded. She sat up on her beach towel, stretching as she did so.

"Where?" Gabriella wanted to lay back down but Troy pulled on her hand, tugging her to her feet.

"Swimming."

She imagined the salt water hitting her skin with each invigorating wave but then sighed. "Nah I think I'll sit this one out-" But before she could even return to tanning she felt two strong arms wrap around her, hoisting her over his shoulder. "Troy!" Gabriella yelped as she felt blood rush to her head after being lifted from the ground, atleast that's what she thought the reason was...

Troy laughed as he bounded towards the ocean with a firm hold on Gabriella who was draped over his shoulder protesting slightly. Once they were waist deep in the water, he set her down. Now face to face, Gabriella could see the smirk drawn on his lips while she glared. But she couldn't help but notice how his eyes perfectly matched the ocean which they were swaying in.

"Oh c'mon, what's that look for? You know you're having fun," Troy pointed out with a laugh.

"You expect me to swim with you after that little stunt you just pulled?" Gabriella feigned anger but had to bite her lip to prevent herself from laughing out loud. She moved away from him, floating on her back allowing the waves to carry her, but the defiant smirk remained on Troy's tanned face. He was plotting something and it was noticeable in his eyes.

"I guess you'd rather swim with the sharks…" Troy began, purposely letting his voice trail off, leaving the rest to Gabriella's imagination.

That was all it took to get Gabriella to race back to his side. "Sharks?" She asked with worry.

Troy crept closer, his eye brows raising while doing so. "Have you ever seen the movie _Jaws_?"

"I know what a shark is!" She snapped. Troy crouched low in the water so that only a trace of his shoulders and his head remained above the water's surface. He began humming the tune from Jaws that was used in the movie whenever a shark was near, gradually allowing his hum to grow louder in sound.

_Dun Dun Dun Dun _

Slowly, he skimmed his hand over Gabriella's leg under the water where she couldn't see it.

She reacted right away, jumping suddenly. "Did you just feel that?"

"Feel what?" Troy asked innocently, repeating what he had done once again. This time she sprung onto him, latching her arms around him tightly in pure panic, but Troy only smiled at the gesture.

"Please say that you're joking," Gabriella pleaded, obviously terrified.

"What do you mean?" Troy asked, resisting to laugh. She wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck, burying her face into the crook of his neck. Troy held on to her lightly, almost timidly, swallowing the lump that had formed in the back of his throat. "Brie?"

"Can you take me out?" She asked with fear, mumbling against his neck. For a moment Troy felt bad, having horrified her, but he knew that he had gotten what he wanted, Gabriella in his arms. When they reached the shore and he put her back on her own feet, Troy kept an arm firmly wrapped around her small waist.

"Well, well, well," A smug voice that was distant and barely recognizable to Gabriella said. "Bolton and the Newbie," Caleb spoke with mischief written all over his features. Gabriella felt Troy draw her closer to his side. Caleb, the boy that Gabriella had a brief encounter with outside the diner until Sharpay had swooped in, was cradling a surfboard at his side as he approached them, sauntering. Troy could see in Caleb's eyes that he was mentally undressing Gabriella and he was almost positive that she noticed it, too. She stiffened upon seeing the bleach blond boy, as if she had seen him before or met him before. Maybe this wasn't the first time she had spoken to him. Did that mean that they knew each other? Troy couldn't keep himself from wondering.

Caleb moved closer, either not noticing the warning flash in Troy's eyes that said to keep away or he just didn't care. With his hair dripping from the water, Caleb tilted his head to the side, thoroughly examining Gabriella. "I don't think that I've been properly introduced," he told her. "I'm Caleb Michaels," He reached out to stroking Gabriella's cheek. "What's your name, gorgeous?"

She cringed but Troy roughly pushed Caleb's hand away. "Leave her alone, Michaels," He hissed, his protective side overpowering his curiosity. _Caleb Michaels _knew Gabriella? Caleb's eyes traveled all over Gabriella's bikini clad body studying her every curve. It was making her feel sick. Troy noticed this and stepped in front of her, feeling a bit possessive as well.

"So you're another one of Bolton's bitches?" Caleb laughed coldheartedly.

"Brie, let's go," Troy urged, slipping Gabriella's hand into his own. She couldn't speak and couldn't think too clearly. What was that supposed to mean?

"Yeah Brie, go," Caleb mocked, his face contorted into a sneer. "I'll be seeing you."

Gabriella shuddered. She knew she wouldn't have Sharpay, Troy, and Chad to protect her the entire summer. So far she had already had two uncomfortable confrontations with Caleb and it was just the beginning of the summer. Then there would be school, which Gabriella figured he'd be there too. She smiled though, despite her thoughts, looking at Troy whose hand was laced with her own.

One long summer, coming right up.

* * *

"Chad you got a little something…" Sharpay pointed towards her cheek to show him, giggling.

"What?"

"Right there.." She said wiping the whip cream off of his face, laughing. Gabriella was so surprised how harsh Sharpay could be at times but when she was with Chad, she was always so tamed. Maybe it's true that some people can just bring out the best of you.

Troy laughed at his best friend who was slightly embarrassed and rolled his eyes. Sharpay and Chad could be so predictable at times, at least that's what he thought. He noticed Gabriella staring at them dreamily. Maybe she wanted what they had.

"What are you kids up to?" A voice called from behind the kitchen. Gabriella looked up from her ice cream dish and her gaze met Troy's. An older woman came from the kitchen, holding paper towels, wiping her hands. "Hey Troy, Shar," She smiled warmly. Gabriella knew her face from somewhere. She just couldn't place it. She was so pretty, so familiar…

"I don't think I've met you before," She said directly to Gabriella, then looked at her son, expecting an introduction to take place.

"Mom this is Gabriella, she's new around here," Chad told her. His mother observed Gabriella. She thought that she looked exactly like someone she had went to high school with. Someone who had dated her best friend. Someone she hadn't seen in years.

"You must be Mrs. Danforth," Gabriella smiled, trying to be polite and friendly.

"Miss Danforth," She corrected, "But you, you can call me Haley."

Gabriella's eyes lit up. Haley Danforth. Had she known her father?

Chad interrupted. "She likes to believe that she's young."

Sharpay and Troy laughed while Haley rolled her eyes, "Honey, I am young."

"Whatever you say mom, whatever you say," Chad said with a wink and even Gabriella chuckled this time. She could get used to this. Just hanging out doing pretty much nothing at all.

* * *

That night Gabriella was walking home on the route she'd gotten used to over the week, when she realized she had left her beach bag behind at the diner.

She backtracked, stopping in front of the doors. Gabriella could see a faint light through the door but debated whether or not to enter. She knocked and waited but no one came. Opening the door slowly, she stepped inside Danforth's Diner. "Chad? Haley?" She didn't get a reply. Instead she heard the soft strumming of a guitar.

"_I'm all tied up and I'm trying my best to get down . Come on girl come around, come around. I'll wait up all night just to see you move. And for the past few days I've been doing my best to move on . Baby baby shake it up and come along. Let's take a ride and forget this town tonight_."

The voice unmistakably belonged to Troy Bolton and it was captivating to Gabriella. She had her bag in her hand now, finding it where she had left it on the counter but couldn't make herself move.

"_Late night, bring back the heat some more. What's right, I don't know what I'm waiting for. It takes all I have just to move along. It takes all that I have, it takes all that I have_."

"_Last call, that's what I said tonight. Passed out, lose control in the fading light. So many nights spent with you in the beginning. It takes a while getting used to having nothing_."

Her breath caught in her throat. Maybe it wasn't Troy? But the tune did sound very familiar..

"_I would give all I have. Just to be what you need, until the end. I'd give myself to be and to hold you close again._"

She tried holding her breath, as if that would keep the mysterious singer from knowing of her presence in the diner. He continued to sing anyway and Gabriella knew for sure, it had to be Troy Bolton.

"_I'm all tied up and i'm trying my best to get down. Come on girl, come around, come around. I'll wait up all night just to see you move. And for the past few days I've been doing my best to move on. Baby baby shake it up and come along. Let's take a ride and forget this town tonight."_

"_Exposed and you're my weakness. I'll take this day by day. Exposed and you're my weakness. There's nothing left for me. Exposed and you're my weakness. I'll take this day by day. Exposed and you're my weakness. For loss of words to say_."

"_I'm all tied up and i'm trying my best to get down. Come on girl, come around, come around. I'll wait up all night_ _just to see you move. And for the past few days I've been doing my best to move on. Baby baby shake it up and come along. Let's take a ride and forget this town ."_

_"What goes around comes around in the end. It's takes you down and you're never gonna stop it. What goes around comes around in the end. It's takes you down and you're never gonna stop it. What goes around comes around in the end. It's takes you down and you're never gonna stop it. I'm not waiting for you."_

Troy Bolton had officially taken her breath away. She turned to leave, wanting to make a fast exit so he didn't know that she had heard him but with her luck, she turned right into one of the tables, clashing with one of the chairs.

"Who's there?" Troy called, alarmed. Gabriella gulped. She couldn't get herself out of this one.

"Uhm, it's Gabriella, I was just getting my bag," She said nervously as Troy appeared in the doorway. She wasn't sure how he would react since he hadn't mentioned anything about him being a musician to her before. The only thing that Gabriella recalled was Sharpay calling him Singer Boy at times. She had heard a voice while entering the diner on her first night in Florida. At first she thought it was Troy but after spending time with him she figured she'd been wrong. How was she supposed to piece that together?

Troy look tired and worn out but he still managed to smile. She didn't know if she should break the silence. She decided to say what was on her mind. "That was incredible."

Troy blushed, running his fingers through his hair and scratching the back of his neck. A nervous habit. "You heard that?"

Gabriella pulled her bag's strap over her shoulder. "Yeah. Did you write it?"

He nodded slowly. He didn't know what got into him whenever she was around. He was never nervous around girls. He was just free, nonchalant, never caring. But for the past week the way he was acting was unexplainable.

"It was great, really," She assured him. "I have to go, I'll talk to you later?" Gabriella questioned, really not sure when she was going to see him again.

With her hand on the door handle, she stopped after hearing her name come from Troy's mouth.

"Would it be ok if, well would you maybe…" Troy rambled, feeling nervous once again. Gabriella waited at the door expectantly. "Do you want to hang out tomorrow? You know, just you and me?"

She felt a smile form on her face. Like a date perhaps? She wasn't sure.

When she stayed quiet Troy coughed, clearing his throat. "Like…a date?"

"In that case…." Gabriella jokingly pretended to ponder this, but couldn't when she saw the small look of disappointment on his face. "I'd love too."

Troy beamed goofily. "Great! I mean…can I pick you up around.. sevenish?"

Gabriella giggled, "Sevenish is great."

A date. An actual date. The word sounded almost foreign to Gabriella. As she walked up her driveway she couldn't wipe of the smile that forced itself on her face. Sevenish, it's a date.


	3. Spinning a Web of Lies

_Oh oh oh ohhhh oh_. Finally it's my time now, it's my time now.

Ok, so I changed up the words to _Our Time Now_ a little bit.

I think that'd be a good song though, you know? Valerie's Time Now.

Hey loves of my life! I wanted to thank you all for the reviews again.

They're seriously one of my favorite parts about writing these chapters.

They just make me want to keep writing more and more and more... **;)**

**Disclaimer** I do not own any of these characters from the movie High School Musical, nuff' said.

* * *

**Spinning a Web of Lies**

The definition of a lie is a statement that isn't true while the definition of true is not false. If in any situation someone restrained from saying more than they could, is that a lie? Keeping things to yourself and hidden is best for everyone at times. But, it's not stating something false but it's not something that's true. Hiding-the-truth. It should have it's own title.

* * *

Her stomach was filled with the jittery feeling that was often described as butterflies. She didn't like the way that sounded, though. It felt more like when she used to take a long time doing her hair to only go outside and have the wind blow it out in all directions. Though she'd be slightly angry at first, the wind was something Gabriella always loved the feeling of.

Now, her natural deep brown curls feel past her shoulders, brushing her shoulder blades as well. She scanned over her choice of outfit by looking into the full-length mirror that hung on her new closet door. After debating with herself for what seemed like hours, Gabriella had finally decided on a white mini-skirt that in her opinion, did not reveal too much skin. She also had chosen an orange tank top that matched the color tone in the sky as the sun would set.

She heard her doorbell ring.

Gabriella peered out into the hallway to see her father carrying a laundry basket, his face filled with questions. "This house has a doorbell?" Daniel asked.

She giggled. That was not what she had thought one of his questions would be. "Shocking, isn't it?"

Gabriella smiled and finished putting on a set of earrings, slipping on her white sandals before traveling down the stairs to the first floor of her house.

"You were expecting someone?" Daniel called after her, following the trail she had taken before, standing at the bottom of the steps with the basket of laundry still in his arms. He was a father of a teenager, of course he was curious.

She bit her bottom lip nervously in anticipation with her hand on the door handle. Gabriella wasn't sure how her dad would react knowing that she had a date. "I'm just going to you know, hang out with a friend," She half-lied. She decided against telling her dad about Troy. Afterall, it's not like they were _dating_. It was just one date. One simple date.

Daniel sighed as his daughter opened the door and quickly closed it after exiting, barely even giving him a glance at the person who was on their door step. He did happen to notice that the person was a boy though, and he knew how teenage boys could be. He shook his head. He was her age once and he'd made a mistake, at least that's what he called it at the time. Now it wasn't really a mistake at all, but the best thing that had ever happened to him.

* * *

"When you said you had something planned I was not expecting this," Gabriella said, staring at Troy from across their booth in the deserted diner.

Troy had convinced Haley to let him have the diner to himself that night, so it was just Gabriella and him. His eyes illuminated with the dim lighting of the room, matching his pale blue button-up shirt.

"Never doubt me," He said joking, but deep down Gabriella felt as though he was serious. "Besides, I figured it was about time you tried one of my famous burgers. Once you take one bite, it leaves you wanting more," Troy winked, causing her to almost melt like putty.

"Oh, really now?"

Troy laughed as she slowly pulled the burger to her mouth, taking an apprehensive bite.

"I'll assure you, it's not poisoned," Troy told her and she rolled her eyes.

Her eyes widened with delight. It was probably the best burger she'd ever tasted. "Dang Troy, looks like there's more to you than meets the eye," Gabriella said, catching his gaze. "Jock, chef, and singer."

Troy laughed but Gabriella could tell it was more of a nervous laughter, the kind when you're unsure of yourself.

"What?" She asked. Had she said something wrong?

Troy studied her intently. "Not a lot of people know about the whole...singing thing."

"Why not?"

He shrugged as if it didn't really make a difference because to him, it didn't. No one knew about it and that was the way he liked it. People just expected him to be a certain way and he felt as if he did not have the right to deny them.

"I can't be two people," He paused, trying to collect his own thoughts. "I mean, a basketball player isn't usually a musician, too."

Gabriella stared like she didn't know what he was talking about. She didn't understand why someone would hide a talent as great as Troy's.

"So what? You're a singer and an athlete. Why do you let what other people expect from you shape you?"

He frowned at Gabriella's judgment. He'd never really thought of it that way.

After thinking her words through, he released a breath he didn't know he'd been holding inside. "Everyone else can't handle both people."

* * *

The rest of their dinner had gone well. Both Gabriella and Troy enjoyed talking to each other. For some reason that Troy could not figure out, it was easier to open up to her than anyone else he'd ever spoken to. She was a great listener and it seemed like she always knew the perfect words to say. After eating, the two decided to walk along the boardwalk since it was always so beautiful at night in Jacksonville. All the hustle from the people at the beach died down and there was almost a calmness. The lights from the shops shined and the blinking colors from amusement rides contrasted together perfectly and in the distance you could see the almost hidden ocean in the darkness. Gabriella didn't think she'd ever seen something so amazing before. But that's how it was here, she saw something more spectacular everyday.

"So…" Troy spoke slowly, casually slipping Gabriella's hand into his own, acting like it wasn't a big deal. It was a big deal to her, though. Whenever he touched her Gabriella felt sparks at the point of impact. "What's your favorite thing to do?"

Without realizing it, she swung her hand that was linked with Troy's back and forth as they walked. "Don't call me a loser but…I love spending time with my dad." She paused, thinking that Troy would comply with laughter but he was too busy listening to her, caring about her thoughts. Maybe he actually was genuinely interested. "How about you?"

"Sleep," He said within seconds then chuckled when Gabriella nudged him.

"I was being serious."

"So was I," Troy smiled when he heard Gabriella's infectious laughter.

"Hey Bolton, is that you?!" Gabriella heard a male's voice yell from a distance. Troy dropped Gabriella's hand quickly, as if there was a law against it and flashed a smile in the direction of a friend he hadn't seen since school let out.

"Hey Jason." Troy greeted the boy who had played by his side on his basketball team which his dad coached, Jason Cross. Gabriella stood nearby uncomfortable, watching the way Troy interacted with other people. Just the way he looked, the way he smiled and laughed, it was like he was a different person. She was confused about which one was the real Troy Bolton.

"Who's this beauty?" Jason asked and looked at her but not in a creepy way at all. Gabriella knew he wasn't like Caleb was. Jason's boyish face and brown hair that naturally swept to the side made him look so innocent.

Troy's eyes widened. For a moment, he had forgotten Gabriella was with him. "Uh Jason this is Gabriella, Gabriella this is Jason."

Jason gave her a friendly smile. "Where've you been all my life?"

Troy laughed but the sound was unfamiliar to Gabriella. It was almost as if he didn't mean it, like he was faking it. What was that about anyways?

Gabriella giggled, but found it weird that Troy would act differently in front of a person like Jason who seemed to be his friend. Unless he acted this way in front of everyone and she was the odd one out. "I just moved here from Albuquerque."

"Alba what?" Jason asked with a look on his face that seemed like he was trying to solve a hard math equation in his mind.

"Albuquerque," She repeated, then felt a pang in her stomach. She missed her home at times, usually at random times whenever something reminded her of New Mexico. She missed it even more now though, because maybe Troy was right; was anyone truly real here?

_Hiding-the-truth_.

* * *

As Troy walked Gabriella back to where he'd first picked her up, he couldn't help but feel like he'd done something wrong. After meeting up with Jason on the boardwalk Gabriella had silenced herself, only saying a few things every now and then. She seemed to me off in her own world, thinking about things by herself instead of talking to Troy.

"Is something wrong?" Troy finally gathered enough courage to ask. He immediately regretted asking when Gabriella let out a long sigh like she'd been holding something in for awhile now.

"No," She said simply. "I mean yeah, I don't know. What was up with that?"

"Up with what?"

Gabriella blew air out of the side of her mouth in frustration. "On the boardwalk with your friend Jason."

Troy's eyebrows knitted together in confusion. "What about Jason?"

Gabriella wished she hadn't mentioned anything at all. So badly she just wanted to escape down her driveway and into the safety of her house. "The way you laughed, the way you were talking, it just seemed so…"

So what? What was she trying to tell him? Troy had only begun getting to know this new girl the week before. Was she actually questioning him? Did she understand who she was talking to? Troy pushed his thoughts aside, no, he wouldn't let any angry feelings overtake him but he still felt as though Gabriella was judging him.

"Fake," She finished, the look on her face distant. Troy could tell she didn't really want to be there with him at the moment. He almost felt, well, guilty.

"I'm not fake I just tend to be different around certain people." He pointed out as if it should be obvious.

Gabriella rolled her eyes. She felt like she was talking to a child. "That's what fake is, Troy."

"Have you ever seen _Spiderman_?" Troy asked out of the blue.

She rose her eye brows, what did that have to do with anything at all?

"Yes…" She told him, unsure where he was going with this.

"Well he has two personalities but he's a hero, he saves people," Troy said with a smirk.

"He's not real, Troy! Imagine though, if he were, what his life would be like," Gabriella said, trying her hardest not to laugh at how amusing she thought Troy was when he made references to things like _Spiderman_. "It can't be fun to live two lives and have nobody really know who you really are. Who are you Troy?" Gabriella ran her small hand through her curls. "Don't be two people with me, please."

"You know who I really am though, so what's there to worry about?" Troy wondered in his mind but accidentally said it out loud.

"I've known you for around a week. Do I really know you?"

Troy allowed himself to think about this. "Peter Parker had someone who knew both of his identities."

The expression on Gabriella's face clearly stated 'I can't believe you're bringing a comic book character into this again.'

Troy moved closer to her, taking one of her hands between the two of his. "You can be my Mary Jane."

* * *

Chad laughed out loud, "And then she just left? Oh man, that's gold." He patted Troy's back. "I mean, you poured your heart out to her and she ditched you." He laughed again and took another shot on the basket, letting the orange ball soar from his fingertips.

Troy rolled his eyes. "She didn't ditch me."

"Did you get any action?"

"Chad, shut up." Troy groaned and attempted to steal the ball from Chad in their mini game of basketball.

"How couldn't you," He said with a humorous glint in his eyes. "You even brought our friendly neighborhood hero into the mix," Chad laughed once more, not even being able to contain his amusement after hearing all about Troy and Gabriella's date and how Troy had tried to cover for himself by discussing _Spiderman_. Chad took another shot. "Wow, your game is weak when you've got a lot on your mind."

Chad signaled a time out and retreated to the sideline for a quick sip of water.

"I don't know why it's bothering me so much…" Troy confided in his friend. "I guess I just like her."

Chad fake gasped. "I never thought I'd live to see the day when Troy, Troy Bolton, my best friend finally admits to liking a girl. Not much of a player after all."

Troy sighed, it was pointless trying to talk to Chad about this right now. His mind was elsewhere and Troy could tell that he was too hyped up to listen at the moment. "Shut up."

"So Montez challenged you in a way?" Chad finally asked with all seriousness, all jokes aside…for the time being.

Troy thought through Chad's words skeptically. "What?"

"You need to prove yourself. Show her that you're one person, not some guy with split personalities."

Troy didn't want to admit it, but Chad was finally making perfect sense. That had to be what Gabriella wanted. He needed to prove himself. _Challenged_. She had challenged him.

"I knew you'd be here!" A petite blonde's voice that they knew and loved said as she approached the gate that opened up to the basketball court, but she was not alone.

Troy watched as Gabriella and Sharpay entered the court. He hadn't seen Gabriella in two days since their date that he had ruined. Both Sharpay and Gabriella were wearing their bathing suits and Troy noticed right away how beautiful Gabriella really was to him. He'd be lying if he said he didn't want her.

"Dude…" Chad nudged Troy's side and whispered so that the girls couldn't hear them.

"What?" Troy hissed.

"My spidey senses are tingling."

* * *

Daniel Montez could never sit in the same place for more than a certain period of time.

It wasn't like he was an overactive child, he just constantly liked to be moving. If he wasn't moving he felt as though he were missing out on life and he hated that feeling. He'd spent way too much time brokenhearted after Gabriella's mother had left him.

When he was in high school he had been so foolish. Daniel thought that he must have had his head in the clouds. Michelle was not ready to have a child, she never would be. He regretted dating her so much at times, especially because he had always loved his best friend. But no matter how mad he was at Michelle for leaving him, he was so grateful for having her in his life. Without her, he wouldn't have Gabriella and he didn't think he could live without her.

He gazed out the bay window from inside of his new house. It seemed like Gabriella had already grown fond of their new neighborhood in Jacksonville. Why couldn't he? He spent his hours rearranging the furniture in the house because there was nothing else for him to do. Daniel opened the refrigerator and almost laughed. No wonder Gabriella was spending so much time out of the house. They were literally foodless.

Grabbing his keys to his convertible, he began looking for the small shopping center that he had found a few days earlier. Just getting out of the house was making him feel better. The ocean breeze and the calls of seagulls were somehow calming to him. Daniel maneuvered his car into a parking space and realized he had a craving for a peanut-butter and jelly sandwich. Just thinking about cravings reminded him of Michelle when she was pregnant with Gabriella. She always had the strangest cravings.

Daniel navigated through the long aisles of food, his eyes lighting up like those of a child on Christmas morning. He couldn't find where the bread was kept.

Walking around aimlessly, he kept his eyes glued to the signs hanging from the cieling that directed him where to locate particular food items. They weren't much of a help but he knew in less than a month he'd know the grocery store by heart, considering his obsession with food. Daniel was so wrapped up in his search for bread he wasn't paying attention to anyone around him. He didn't even see a woman walking in his direction, not paying much attention either…

Daniel stopped walking. Maybe he was heading in the wrong direction. Making a sharp turn, he collided, sending someone to the ground.

"I'm so sorry," Daniel said, embarrassed. He looked at the jar of peanut-butter and jelly rolling away from him. His eyes then connected with the eyes of his victim. Those hazel eyes that he hadn't seen in years. Those hazel eyes that he'd missed so much. He couldn't speak, couldn't think. It was one of those, _pinch me I'm dreaming_ moments. He couldn't be dreaming though. The force between those two pairs of eyes was so strong, it would have to be impossible if he were dreaming.

"_Danny_?"


	4. I Can Face the Truth

It's been so long, so long, so long. Ok, not really.

Finals have been killer this week, that's why this chapter is kinda crappy, in my opinion.

I swear, today when I took my last final, I felt like getting up and screaming the lyrics to High School Musical 2 'What time is it?'

Besides that, the heat was so unbearable. But here's a new chapter, it's nothing special.

review anyway?

**Disclaimer** I do not own some of the characters from Highschool Musical, so what's new?

* * *

**I Can Face the Truth**

Honesty is always a great quality to have. It makes trusting someone a whole lot easier when they're honest. Another great quality is being able to trust someone. That can be difficult though once a certain point is reached. If someone gets hurt multiple times they may never be able to trust someone again. That's where the honest people come in and save the others.

* * *

"I cry all of the time."

Gabriella almost laughed. Sharpay, crying? Yeah right, she was so headstrong. She still remembered the way that Sharpay had stood up for her on her first night in Florida. A girl like that never cries. Gabriella studied her blonde friend and noticed the sincerity in her eyes. She was being completely truthful. Gabriella wondered why, though. How could someone like Sharpay let her guard down? She was the strong one out of the both of them. Over the last couple of weeks they'd grown to be good friends, Gabriella knew that Sharpay didn't let anyone tear her down.

"Why? I mean I know people who cry sometimes but I can't.." Gabriella started to confess.

"Can't what?" Sharpay asked, confusion noticeable on her features.

Gabriella munched on some more popcorn to fill in the silence. Sharpay was spending the night at Gabriella's and basically they were just talking about everything. Boys, clothes, beliefs, you name it. She was afraid to tell Sharpay some things because she wasn't sure how she would think about her. "Cry."

Sharpay laughed, "Of course you can cry, everyone does. I cry when I'm happy, mad, or watching the _Notebook_." She paused, "Gosh that movie is so sad."

Gabriella was laughing now, too. "But it has a happy ending. Anything with a happy ending cannot make me cry." Sharpay's eyes widened. She couldn't believe that Gabriella was being serious. How could someone not cry? Crying is an instinct for some people, afterall.

"That's insane…"

There was three sharp knocks on Gabriella's bedroom door.

"Dad?" She questioned and watched at the door creaked open just enough so he could poke his head through the door.

"I'm about to go to bed so I'm just reminding you girls to keep the volume down."

She rolled her eyes. "We'll be quiet, Dad."

Daniel nodded and closed the door. Sharpay sighed dreamily. "He's so fine."

"Shar!" Gabriella's mouth gaped wide. "That's gross."

"Oh c'mon! I'm a girl, I have eyes, I'm allowed to admire."

Forty-five minutes passed, and Sharpay had convinced Gabriella to watch the Notebook, trying to find someway to get her to cry. She told her that they weren't putting their heads on any pillow unless a tear was shed. Truthfully, Gabriella couldn't remember the last time she had cried. Suddenly Gabriella heard the sound of footsteps moving on the staircase and the sound of the front door closing.

"Did you hear that, too?" Sharpay asked her friend after pausing the _Notebook_. Gabriella nodded. It couldn't have been her father. He had told them that he was going to bed. He was sleeping…right?

Before Gabriella could think about it anymore, Sharpay scrambled for her bed then looked out the window. All that she saw was a familiar car and Daniel getting into it. She just couldn't think whose car it was. Nothing was making sense.

Gabriella's face read confusion, worry, and a trace of hurt. She didn't understand why her father would lie to her. He'd never felt the need to lie to her before. Sharpay noticed the look on her friend's face and decided they both needed to do something to cheer her up.

"Hey…" Sharpay said softly, "If your dad can sneak out…so can we," Sharpay smiled with mischief. Usually Gabriella would never do anything against her father's rules but now she wasn't quite sure he was being completely honest with her. _Hiding-the-truth_. Gabriella nodded eagerly.

"Let's get out of here."

* * *

"Chad, wake up!" Troy shook his friend who was one of the heaviest the sleepers that he knew.

Chad mumbled something and rolled over, ignoring Troy completely. Troy knew that nothing would be able to wake him up. Well, almost nothing.

"I think your mom is making brownies."

That was all it took. Chad's head snapped up, alert, his nose searching for the heavy aroma that he could usuallysmell whenever Haley made her famous brownies. With a messy afro from sleeping, Chad plopped down once again.

"You're a liar, Bolton."

"Yeah so maybe I am, but I think someone is breaking into your house."

Chad sat up straight again. "What do you mean?"

Troy just stayed quiet, holding a finger to his lips. "Can't you hear that?"

Chad heard what sounded like someone downstairs on the first floor of his house. He shrugged. "It's probably just my mom."

Troy shook his head, and opened the bedroom door so that Chad could see across the hall into his mother's room whose door was wide open. Her bed was empty. "I saw her leave a little while ago, I don't know where she went. She looked like she was sneaking out."

"Pft. My mom, sneaking out?" Chad chuckled but his mind was wandering away from him. If his mom wasn't sleep and was out, who was in his house? He opened his closet door and rummaged through it until he found what he was looking for. When he pulled out, he was holding a shiny metal baseball bat, one which he barely ever used. He also was holding an old hockey stick. Tossing the stick to Troy, he exited his room.

"Are you crazy?" Troy asked in bewilderment.

"Actually… I think I might be," Chad said slowly when he saw Gabriella at the bottom of his stairs, decked out in her pajamas. "Am I dreaming?"

"This better not be what you dream about," Sharpay's voice rung throughout the house.

Troy followed Chad so he could see where the voices were coming from. "Wow," He quickly hid the hockey stick behind his back.

"What were you planning to do? Slap shot the shit out of us?" Sharpay asked and Gabriella giggled. Troy smiled upon hearing the sound, like music to his ears.

"Hey Brie," Troy said sheepishly.

"Are you both just going to stand down there or are you coming up?" Chad asked pointedly.

"We're coming, we're coming," Gabriella said, tiredly trudging up the stairs. "Troy?"

"Yeah?"

"Nice boxers," She told him, biting back a giggle. Everyone took the time to look down at Troy's _Spongebob Squarepants _boxers. Troy could feel his cheeks redden in embarrassment. Chad laughed but was cut off by Sharpay.

"I wouldn't be laughing, _Spiderman's _not too hot either," She said with a knowing smile, looking directly at Troy. This time both he and Gabriella's cheeks reddened.

"Spiderman's the most awesome dude I know," Chad said, patting Troy's back for reassurance. Troy simply rolled his eyes and shrugged Chad's hand away. "Anyways, enough criticizing our undergarments. Was my mom downstairs when you came in?" Chad asked, trying to see if Troy had been correct about Haley not being home.

Sharpay shook her head, "Nope, her car is gone, too."

Gabriella's eye brows rose to the top of her forehead. "Interesting…" She muttered with suspicion.

* * *

Their hands were joined in the middle of Chad's bed. Well…not their hands exactly, more like their thumbs. Troy victoriously captured Gabriella's thumb beneath his once again while playing the game Thumb Wars. Chad snored loudly on the floor with Sharpay leaning against him since the two had fallen asleep while watching TV. Gabriella was restless though because she couldn't stop worrying that her father might notice her absence at home. But he wasn't there so what did it matter? Since Gabriella was staying up, Troy couldn't make himself fall asleep knowing that she would be awake by herself.

"One, two, three, four, I declare a thumb war…" Gabriella mumbled for what seemed to be the hundredth time. She was growing bored of playing the game and having Troy beat her every time. She glanced at Chad's alarm clock that sat on a table beside his bed. It was 3 AM. Stifling a yawn, she returned her attention to the game.

"You're bored."

"No…" Gabriella yawned again.

"Tired?" Troy asked, smiling at how adorable he thought she looked.

Gabriella shook her head, looking into his blue eyes that appeared tired.

"Then let's do something," Troy suggested.

Gabriella's eyes opened in awareness. What could they possibly do, she wondered. It was late, every store was closed, Jacksonville was dead at night.

"What could we do?" She asked with curiosity, laughing quietly when she heard Chad let out a deep snort.

"We can leave this animal alone to sleep in peace."

"How can you talk about Sharpay that way?!" Gabriella joked, knowing that Troy was referring to Chad. Troy chuckled but stood up from the bed anyway.

With his eyes urging her to follow him, Troy said, "Anything would be better than getting beat in thumb wars for the fiftieth time."

"Fine but we're not doing anything stupid."

"How could I, Troy Bolton, do anything stupid?" He asked with a smirk.

Gabriella rolled her eyes but smiled, "Oh trust me, I bet it's possible."

* * *

"Are you sure Haley won't mind?" Gabriella asked while treading water in the Danforth's swimming pool that was in their back yard. Troy had threw her in even though she was wearing her pajamas and even though she had protested many times. He followed in after her and now they were just swimming around and talking to each other.

"Has anyone ever told you that you worry way too much?" Troy went underwater before he could hear her response.

Gabriella's mouth hung open. She didn't understand why Troy had to be so full of himself at times and why he acted like he had everyone figured out. After their "date" she'd left Troy outside of her house once he delivered his _Spiderman_ speech. He'd done nothing so far to prove that she had been wrong about the judgments she made about him. Maybe after everything, Gabriella had been right.

"Has anyone ever told you that you're one of the most self-righteous people in the _world_?" Gabriella asked with a glare once Troy returned to the surface.

Troy's smug look on his face disappeared. "Actually, yes," He mumbled. He remained silent and there was a look on his face that Gabriella never saw before. Hurt, disappointment. Feeling slightly guilty for making his face that normally resembled perfection look that way, Gabriella swam closer, putting her hand on his upper arm.

"Sorry," She said sincerely, her eyes boring into his own.

"It's fine, really," Troy assured her but made no move to shrug her off his arm. "You were right." Troy was shocked at his own words. He never admitted to anyone that they were right. In his world, he was right about everything and no one could make him change his mind.

"I'm cold," She said out of nowhere, resisting to shiver. Troy leaned against the edge of the pool, taking Gabriella with him while folding her into his arms, rubbing her arms for warmth.

"I'll go get some towels."

Putting her hand on the side of Troy's neck, Gabriella made him pull his head from where it rested on her shoulder. "Don't leave me," She fake pouted. "Can't you just wrap us up in a web or something?" She asked, now she was the one who was smirking.

"Oh would you be quiet?" Troy joked but tensed when he saw car headlights and heard the crunch of the gravel in the Danforth's driveway.

Gabriella noticed this and squinted her eyes because of the bright lights. "Do you think…?"

Before he could even answer her, the back gate flew open and two people stumbled through. Troy immediately moved to hide Gabriella from view and remained hushed so that whoever was in the Danforth's yard could not hear or see them. Too late.

One of the people stopped dead in their tracks, moving closer to the pool ledge. "Troy?"

Troy released a sigh of relief. "Yeah, Haley. You scared me."

She laughed a little. "What are you two doing? You know it's around 3:45."

"Wow, really? I should be getting Miss Montez home," He said playfully. Now the other person who had walked through the gate stepped out of the shadows.

"Gabriella?"

"Dad?" Gabriella asked in shock.

"What are you doing here?" Daniel snapped upon seeing his daughter against a teenage boy that he had no knowledge of.

"I think the question is, what are _you_ doing here?" She asked with just as much force.

_Honestly_, Gabriella didn't know how she was going to get herself out of this one.


	5. Just Let Go

Hey there Valerieah, what's it like in Jacksonville City?

Not so great. I would have had this chapter up sooner if my power didn't go out for a day and a half.

It was a pleasant way to start the summer. My air conditioners no longer functioning and leaving me

dying in my house that felt like a desert. Ok, I'll admit, I'm being a tad bit dramatic. The Beach is great, wooooh.

So to all of you interested in this story I'd like to say... No, I'm not going to be rushing things with Gabriella & Troy.

BUT, and this is a big but (kidding, I love saying that), this story is going to be taking place in the summer (Duh, obviously), so they will be together soon.

Sorry for giving anything away but I thought you kind of figured that **;)**

As for Haley & Daniel... you'll have to read to find out.

As for Chad & Sharpay... well, I just love their characters in this story. They supply humor and that's something I love, if you haven't already noticed.

Peace & Love,

Val

* * *

**Just Let Go**

At some point, you have to move on. If something terrible or something you just want to forget occurs the first thought that comes to mind is to move on from it. But sometimes it's not so simple to learn from mistakes. It make just take that extra strength that you didn't even know you possessed and then things may start turning around. It may not always be so difficult though because sometimes the simplest of things can change your life.

* * *

"You're grounded."

"You lied."

"You're still grounded."

"And you're still a liar," Gabriella told her father flatly.

Daniel shook his head, trying to block out his rage, he refused to let it get the best of him. He believed that he was right by handling the situation this way. The night before after Daniel had taken Gabriella home, he told her that they would talk about everything in the morning. Frankly, he didn't think he had the strength to deal with it at four in the morning. But they weren't talking now, it was more like a_ very_ heated argument.

"Maybe you should stay in your room," He suggested. Daniel was never the type of father that actually punished Gabriella but he didn't know what else to do at the time. He thought that if the continued to fight they would just resent each other a whole lot more.

"Yeah that way you can sneak out again," Gabriella told him, her eyes narrowing in a glare.

"I wasn't sneaking out!" Daniel was trying his hardest to reason with her, but she wasn't listening.

Gabriella laughed coldheartedly and rolled her eyes. "No, you weren't sneaking out, you just lied and said that you were sleeping and then you left."

"So what? You're the child and I'm the adult."

"I'm not a child anymore, Dad! And that's way besides the point!" Gabriella shouted angrily.

"Then what's the point, Gabriella! Enlighten me! I don't see anyway you can prove me wrong."

"You lied to me! When have you ever felt the need to lie to me?" Gabriella's voice lowered and all a sudden seemed small.

Daniel felt as though someone had punched him in the gut. He hadn't expected her to say something like that so now he had no idea how to respond. All his life, people had looked to him because he always knew how to deal with a problem. As Daniel fought with his daughter and saw the amount of hurt in her eyes, he didn't know how to deal or what to say.

"I just…" Daniel couldn't explain why he had lied to his only daughter. "I just didn't think that you were ready."

Gabriella knew he was making up excuses for himself. "You didn't think that I was ready? Maybe you're the one who isn't ready."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"You know exactly what I mean!" Gabriella said furiously, barely even believing that these words were coming out of her mouth and directed at her father. "You _need_ to get over her!"

Daniel's eyes flashed anger, hurt, and confusion all at once. "Gabriella Michelle Montez, I let you do a lot of things on your own. Hell, I practically give you the world. But I will not let you talk to me that way."

"What, Dad? The truth hurts doesn't it? Mom isn't coming back. She left! She's not coming back!" Gabriella could feel her blood boil. She knew that all of this anger had been building up since her mother had left when Gabriella was only little. She knew that her mother was the reason that Daniel had decided to move to Florida. She also knew that some of the things she was saying shouldn't have been said to her father. After all, he would practically give her the world. He'd do anything for her and she knew that.

Daniel looked at the ground, not being able to look at his daughter at the moment. She looked and sounded exactly like Michelle. Gabriella was screaming out loud all of the thoughts that had clogged his mind for the past years. Though it kind of felt like a weight being lifted, now that Daniel knew someone else thought the same, it all hurt nonetheless. "Room."

"What?" Gabriella asked, her eye brows furrowing.

"Go to your room. You're grounded."

Gabriella knew that it wasn't the end of the discussion. She knew that there was so much more to the reason that he was at her friend, Chad Danforth's house with Haley. In time, Daniel would tell her what was going on. But from the look on his face, Gabriella knew the conversation was over for the time being.

* * *

"How are you holding up, Wildcat?" Haley asked her best friend, calling him a nickname she hadn't used in years.

Daniel stirred his spoon around his cup of coffee, not feeling enough strength at the moment to drink it, so he just watched the steamy liquid swirl around the mug. He slowly raised his head from where it was bent low towards the drink he'd ordered at Haley's diner. Separated by the kitchen's counter, Haley tried to piece back together her friend. She felt like she was someone to blame. Three days ago, when they had met up in the grocery market, she suggested that they catch up. She had been busy and couldn't find any other time unless it was late at night. Unfortunately for Daniel, that lead to him sneaking out and getting caught by his daughter. Now they weren't on speaking terms and he thought that both he and Gabriella needed space.

"I've been better," He flashed her a weak smile, one that he knew that she could see right through. Haley always had been able to do that.

"I'm sure Gabriella's probably feeling the same way," Haley glanced to her side when she saw her son's best friend tense up at the mention of Gabriella. Troy was nearby, trying to go unnoticed by Daniel. So far, he was successful.

He felt guilty, like it was his whole fault that she'd gotten into an argument with her father. He didn't know much about her family but he knew that it was just her and her dad. Troy had been the one who had convinced her to go swimming, even though it was late. If he hadn't, they would have been inside and Daniel and Haley probably would have never seen them. 'What Ifs' wouldn't find their way out of Troy's mind. All he wanted to do was see Gabriella. On the down low, he was listening to tiny snippets of Haley and Daniel's conversation with curiosity.

"She just…" Daniel paused, rubbing his hands against his temples, as if that would clear the fog in his brain. "She never looked at me that way before."

Haley sighed, placing her hand on top of his fidgeting ones. "Danny, I know it's tough, but they're teenagers, things like this are bound to happen."

"It's not just that."

"Then what is it?" Haley asked, "You can talk to me about anything," She told him reassuringly.

Daniel exhaled sharply. "She mentioned Michelle."

It had only been three days since Haley had met up with Daniel after all those years separated. She honestly didn't know what had happened to his high school girlfriend or why she wasn't there now. "Michelle? Her mother?"

Daniel nodded. "Yeah, her mother."

"What about her, where is she?"

"She's gone. She left."

Haley's mouth widened. She would have never guessed that. In high school both Michelle and Daniel had seemed so happy. Haley knew that Michelle was scared when she found out that she was pregnant but never did she think that Michelle would be the kind of person who would actually leave. "Wow, I don't know what to say. I'm sor-"

"Don't say it. She's gone, I finally have to accept that. Gabriella is right." Daniel said firmly.

"Maybe that's what is best, though. Just let go, start over new." Haley told him, her eyes lighting up as they connected with his deep brown ones.

He grinned, nodding slightly. "Start over new."

* * *

Troy didn't know what had gotten into him.

For one, he was never the type to eavesdrop.

He knew that Haley's advice to Daniel was obviously not intended for him but Troy knew that he wanted to do the same. He wanted to start over with Gabriella. He wanted to show her that he was real. But most of all, he wanted to be with her.

Troy knew, as he quickened his pace down the familiar street, that whatever he was feeling was foreign and something that he'd never experienced before. He was falling. Falling so fast for the new girl. Gabriella Montez. He wanted to tell her but he knew that at the moment he didn't have enough courage to do so.

He bounded up the steps that lead to the porch taking two at a time. Impatiently, Troy rung the doorbell several times, knowing that Daniel wasn't home so that the only person in the house was Gabriella.

When no one came to answer the door, Troy whipped out his cell phone, scrolling down the list of numbers until he found hers. It rung three times before the he got her voice mail. He cursed under his breath, shutting to phone and shoving it back into his pocket. What he really felt like doing was screaming her name at the top of his lungs. He'd do anything to get her attention.

Like a light bulb turning on in his head, Troy looked at the tree that was the perfect size. It was right beside the balcony that led to Gabriella's room. It would be simple, Troy thought. He allowed his calloused hands to clutch onto the tree's bark, his feet digging into the sides to try to find some type of leverage.

"Gabriella!" He yelled, feeling so ridiculous as he slipped further and further away from the balcony doors and closer to the ground once again. He held in his breath when he heard the glass doors slide open.

"Troy?" Gabriella called out, her voice was soft and sounded more vulnerable than ever before. "What the hell are_ you_ doing here?" She whispered the last part. Troy felt his feet slip as he fell on the grass.

"Making myself look like an idiot of course."

Gabriella giggled quietly but then bit her lip, preventing herself from making the sound. She felt bad for being even remotely happy at the moment. She didn't see how she could be happy when she had made her father feel so horrible.

"Come down, please?" Troy pleaded. "I need to talk to you."

Gabriella sighed and looked down and Troy from where she stood on her balcony. "I can't, I'm grounded."

"I don't see a ball and chain," Troy chuckled when he earned a nervous smile from Gabriella. "Just come down for a second," He said, even though he knew he needed much more than a second.

"My dad's downstairs," She told him, not knowing that Daniel was at Haley's dinner.

Troy's eyes lit up with delight, also indicating that he had an idea. "Then Rapunzel, let down your hair."

"Are you insane?"

Troy smirked. "I might be. Just climb down the tree."

"Yeah because that worked for you," Gabriella said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Please? I won't let you hurt yourself."

Gabriella groaned as she flipped one of her legs over the railing that wrapped around her balcony. She didn't feel like wasting time arguing with Troy when she knew she'd eventually give into him anyway. Nervously, she tried grabbing on to the tree but she didn't have much of a past with tree climbing. "I'm telling you right now that this isn't going to work, I'm going to fall."

"I'm telling you right now that I'll catch you," Troy told her, his eyes cutting through hers. "Trust me. Jump."

"Jump?! Now you really are insane," Gabriella said fearfully.

Troy looked at her with his arms outstretched. He knew he'd convince her sooner or later. Hopefully sooner. "Just let go."

Taking a deep, shaky breath, Gabriella released her grip on the tree, feeling for only a moment that her life was crashing downwards. She could feel the wind through her fingertips but couldn't see anything surrounding her. Finally, she felt a thud as she landed not in someone's arms, but rather on top of someone. Troy grunted at the sudden impact but he wasn't at all concerned with himself.

"Are you ok?" He asked, as he sat up with her on top of him, causing her to sit on his lap. She winced as he moved, making his face flash with worry. "What's wrong? Did I hurt you?"

"No," Gabriella cradled her right hand timidly in her left. "I just landed on my hand."

"Then you're not fine," Troy stated, gently resting her injured hand in his palm. He studied it intently, not even noticing as Gabriella watched him, loving the way Troy was looking at her, like he cared. After thoroughly examining, Troy spoke up. "It's not broken," He told her, having much experience with these types of injuries from basketball. "It'll probably just bruise." Troy continued holding her hand in his, slowly and cautiously bringing in closer to his lips. He tenderly kissed her palm then turned her hand over to brush his lips across her knuckles.

Gabriella smiled but couldn't help the blush from rising on her cheeks. Suddenly, she felt the temperature rise degrees higher when Troy's free hand came to rest upon Gabriella's cheek. She immediately succumbed to his simple touch, finding her eyes transfixed on his blue ones.

"Troy… my dad…" She whispered.

"He's not here."

Gabriella pulled out of his grasp. "What?! You made me jump for nothing?"

Troy smiled sheepishly, "Well…"

"You knew he wasn't here, didn't you?"

"I just wanted to see…" Troy tried to explain himself.

"See what?"

"I wanted to see if you'd jump for me," Troy admitted.

"Well I did, didn't I? I practically killed myself," Gabriella said, slowly standing up.

Troy rolled his eyes. "You're being a bit Sharpay-ish, she must be rubbing off on you."

Gabriella scoffed, "I could have really hurt myself."

"You jumped because you knew I wouldn't let that happen."


	6. Forgive Me I'm Trying to Find My Calling

Aye everyone!

Warning..this chapter is shorter then the others because it's basically a filler.

I hope it's ok? I love you guys.

peace, love, and reviews? **:D**

**Disclaimer** yatta yatta yatta, I don't own the characters from Disney's_ High School Musical_, the rest are mine though mwuahah.

* * *

**Forgive Me I'm Trying to Find My Calling**

There's no such thing as forgiving and forgetting. It's a popular saying. _Forgive and Forget_. But the truth is that people can always forgive no matter how hard it may be. Forgetting is the most difficult part, though. Forgetting can be almost impossible. Maybe the saying should be changed…forgive but _never _forget.

* * *

"So she's _the_ Haley?" Gabriella countered, finally being able to put the missing pieces together.

She and her father had decided that they were going to resolve all their problems now. There would no longer be any fighting or grounding. Before they had even moved to Florida from New Mexico, Daniel and Gabriella rarely ever had arguments and if they did, the argument would never be too serious.

They were just going to get along again, the way it had always been.

Now, Gabriella was curious about Chad's mother and her past with Daniel. She wanted to know everything but she knew her father wasn't completely ready to talk about his history. The painful memories of her mother made it very difficult for him to relive his past.

Daniel chuckled lightly. "_The _Haley? She has a title now?" He was relieved in a way. At least Gabriella knew that he was meeting up with Haley. He wouldn't say that he was dating her, not yet.

"No I meant like, your best friend Haley. I met her my first week in Jacksonville, I thought for maybe a split second that it was the Haley that you knew but I just thought that'd be so bizarre," Gabriella told her father. Never had she really considered after meeting Chad's mother that she was the same Haley in Daniel's year book.

Lately, many things were surprising her, Troy's actions towards her especially.

"It's a small world."

"Yeah, small world…" Gabriella trialed off.

Daniel's eyes squinted together the way that they normally did when he was studying something or in this case, studying someone. "Enough about Haley. Who was.." He coughed. "That uh boy?" He was her father, he thought he had the right to be concerned.

"Dad," Gabriella warned. She really didn't want to talk about this with her him. She felt uncomfortable and based on the look Daniel had given Troy the night in the pool, she didn't really think that he was too fond of Troy. "He's just a friend, honest."

Daniel nodded, choosing to believe her… for now. "Friends swim _that _closely together _that _late at night," He said sarcastically. "Things have sure changed since I was your age."

"That was in the prehistoric times," Gabriella joked playfully.

"Prehistoric times or not, I don't trust teenage boys, you know that," Daniel said. He was once a teenager, he knew how they could be. He thought that Gabriella was meant for so much and he didn't want her ruining her life.

"Troy's different, Dad. He's my _friend_, I swear. Nothing happened. I wouldn't lie to you," Gabriella stated.

If they were both going to be honest with each other for now on, Daniel knew he had to believe his daughter, that way, she'd believe him as well.

"I believe you."

* * *

"It's like any normal dance but it's on the beach," Sharpay told her friend while rampaging through Gabriella's closet.

"I kind of figured that," Gabriella said tiredly flopping on her bed, watching her talented friend sort through her clothing. She seriously believed that Sharpay Evans would be a big name in fashion one day. She could take the simplest of outfits and turn them into something incredible. "I just don't get why I'd have to dress up."

"Gabi, it's a dance! Do you not know how to have fun?" Sharpay asked in mock disbelief. " I can't do this but I know that you can flirt with as many boys as you can. You're new, they'll drool allover you."

"Yeah because that's what I want," Gabriella joked and watched as Sharpay paused momentarily, her eyes flashing with sudden curiosity.

"What do you want? I mean…" Sharpay bit her bottom lip. "Listen, I've known Bolton almost my whole life and I know sometimes he can be a little.."

"Self-centered? Obnoxious? Fake?" Gabriella filled in with amusement watching as Sharpay nodded along to each word Gabriella said about their friend, Troy.

"Yeah all of those but still. You come here, swoop in out of no where and then _BAM_."

"Bam?" Gabriella asked nervously.

Sharpay snapped her fingers. "Maybe snap would be better? I don't know, that's besides the point. The point is, you've got him under your spell."

"I have a spell?" Gabriella giggled from her bed and could see Sharpay becoming frustrated, it only made Gabriella laugh harder.

Sharpay rolled her eyes, un-amused at Gabriella's attempt at humor and how she was refusing to stay on one subject. "Do you like him?" She decided to ask right out in the open.

Gabriella felt her mouth go dry. She wasn't sure that whatever she said in her room would stay in her room. After all, Sharpay was best friends with Troy and had known him a lot longer than she had. "Yes."

With her eyes widening, Sharpay backtracked, she wasn't expecting her to admit to liking Troy that easily. She thought she was going to have to drag it out of her with ease. "Seriously?"

"Yes, a lot. But it's so hard..."

Sharpay squealed like a little school girl discovering a major secret. "What's hard about it?! You like each other! Aw man, this is perfect."

"Wait! He likes me?" Gabriella asked, her voice rising notches higher.

"Are you insane? How can you not know that?!"

"I just…" Gabriella tried to sort through the thoughts that were racking her brain. Nothing was clear to her anymore. "Are we going to this dance thing or not?"

"Subject changer!" Sharpay shouted with a laugh and threw an outfit at Gabriella. "You're going to blow him away."

She hoped so.

* * *

"_I've been jumping from the tops of buildings for the thrill of the fall…"_

Chad abruptly slammed the kitchens door open, cutting Troy off.

"Can't you see that I'm busy?" Troy asked, pointing towards his guitar. Whenever he had an idea for a song he hated when people disturbed him. If he lost one of his thoughts it was usually hard for him to get it back again.

"Busy doing what? Writing a suicide letter?"

Troy laughed sarcastically. "You're quite the comedian today. I thought I might have had something but now thanks to you-"

"You whine more than my mom when we forget to clean the kitchen. Are you ready?" Chad asked and glanced at his friend while buttoning up his own shirt.

"You know how much I hate these things," Troy groaned and felt like he had an itch that had to be scratched even though he didn't. He just hated getting almost dressed up. Troy was wearing a blue button up shirt with a casual pair of jeans. He feared he was going to be extremely hot in the Florida weather. He also feared that another one of these dances was going to be a complete waste of time.

"Shar loves them and besides, Gabi will be there.." Chad purposely let his voice trail off, smirking at his best friend who had frozen where he stood.

"So? Your point?"

"You like her," Chad stated, "We all know."

Troy felt himself inhale sharply. "What? What are you talking about?" He tried brushing it off as if it wasn't a big deal, as if it weren't the truth.

"Playing dumb, Bolton?"

Troy exhaled and looked his friend in the eye. "So what if I do? What does it matter, she doesn't believe one word I say."

Chad rolled his eyes and slipped on a pair of shoes. The two were getting ready to meet up with Sharpay and Gabriella at the dance that was being held on the beach. It was a tradition at Jacksonville, Florida, to hold one at the end of every month as a fund raiser. It was going to be the first one that Gabriella attended. "You're being such a girl. One half-bad date and then all hope is lost," He said, sighing dramatically for the effect.

"Easy for you to say, you've got Shar, she's not going anywhere," Troy pointed out dully. "I don't want to mess things up with Gabriella, I'm telling you, she's different."

"Times a wasting," Chad said tapping on his wrist as if a watch lay there. "She's new, Troy. It won't take long for someone else to see her."

"I've got her blindfolded, she can't see them," Troy said smugly.

"You keep believing that."


	7. Wake Up, You're Not Dreaming

Bonjour, here's another chapter!

Not so exciting BUT I started writing (rhymed), the next chapter and so far, I like it a lot.

**Disclaimer** I do not own any characters from High School Musical

* * *

**Wake Up, You're Not Dreaming**

Sometimes life feels like a dream. Everything around you could seem to be so fake, so unreal that it just has to be a dream. In the end, though, no matter what, reality outshines whatever is untrue. Maybe you'll wake up and it'll all just be a dream but then again, maybe it's not a dream. Reality can be just as great as a dream, just as disappointing, or…just as false.

* * *

"Why are you ignoring Gabi?" Chad asked in total confusion after he had thought that Troy was finally going to go for it with Gabriella at the dance. So far, they had only encountered when they met up. Chad wasn't sure what kind of game Troy was playing by catching up with people from school and cutting out Gabriella, but it was getting old.

"Ignoring? What are you talking about-"

Troy was cut off quickly when he felt a hard slap on the back of his head. "What the hell is your problem, Shar?" Troy choked out, still in partial shock from the sudden impact on the back of his head.

_Damn_, Sharpay could hit.

"Don't give me this shit! Stop with this little act and go talk to Gabriella!" Sharpay shouted over the loud blaring music, her patience obviously wearing thin. She had taken half the night to convince Gabriella to go after Troy while getting ready for the dance, and now that they were at the dance, Troy wouldn't even talk to her.

"Fine. I'll go talk to her, happy?" Troy groaned causing Sharpay to drop her mouth open in shock.

"Only if it's not too much of a strain. What's wrong with you tonight?" Sharpay snapped but before she could ask anymore questions she gripped Troy's collar of his shirt, yanking him towards her. Chad stepped back, trying his hardest not to say anything that would upset his girlfriend.

Without any warning, she inhaled deeply, searching for a scent on Troy that she was almost positive she'd find. Upon finding it, she smiled in satisfaction, proving her suspicion. "You've been drinking."

Troy smiled almost bashfully, "Well yeah-"

Sharpay hit him again, this time Troy's hand flew to the place she had hit, rubbing it. "You've got to stop doing that." Troy told her, looking to Chad for support.

Chad backed away even more, a clear indication to Troy that Chad was telling him that he wasn't getting involved.

"No, you've got to stop doing this," Sharpay said, expelling an angry breath, trying to calm herself down. "Gabriella doesn't deserve this."

"You're right, I don't deserve her," Troy stated almost as if he didn't care, the alcohol he had consumed pulsing through him. This time Chad stepped in, receiving an appreciative smile from Sharpay.

"You sound so pathetic right now," He said to Troy, holding back a laugh. "But seriously, you may think that you don't deserve her… but does Caleb Michaels?"

"What?" Troy yelled over the music. This had gotten his attention, his blue eyes darting left and right, searching for Gabriella. Sure enough, he spotted both Caleb and Gabriella talking right beside the large group of teens who were dancing. He knew that Gabriella was uncomfortable around Caleb so he didn't understand why she was talking to him now.

Sharpay smiled to herself when Troy abandoned them and shoved his way towards Gabriella. It had it's desired effect which Sharpay had all planned out when she told Gabriella to talk to Caleb. Everyone knew that Caleb wasn't the right person to associate with and if Troy saw them close to each other, he wouldn't allow it.

"Brie," Troy slurred, not going unnoticed by Gabriella who watched him attentively. "Dance with me?"

Caleb was annoyed, "Can't you see she's busy?"

Troy didn't give either of them a chance to answer his questions, instead he pulled Gabriella's hand, eagerly trying to get her away from Caleb which was exactly what she wanted. He wouldn't even give her an opportunity to question his motives as he pulled her close to him, wrapping his arms securely around her waist, partly to be possessive and partly because he needed her support to stand at the moment.

"So you're talking to me now?" Gabriella asked, as she moved her arms so that they rested around his neck. She was mad but she wasn't going to let it ruin her night. So far, she was sort of enjoying her first dance at Jacksonville. She was meeting a lot of new people.

"I'm sorry , I'm I -"

"Stink?" Gabriella said with no emotion.

"What?" Troy said, dumbfounded.

"You smell _really_ bad," Gabriella said as she inhaled the smell of alcohol.

"Thanks, everyone's just dishing out compliments today," He said sarcastically and buried his face in her neck. "You smell.." Troy sniffed at her neck, causing Gabriella to bite back a giggle. "Good, actually."

"You're so wasted," Gabriella laughed and shrugged his head from where it was resting on her shoulder.

"Really? I wasn't aware," Troy said and yawned obnoxiously. "I'm tired, let's get out of here."

Gabriella released her hold on him, "I want to stay."

"Come on, we can have a little fun of our own," Troy said with a smirk, his tone of voice sounding almost suggestive to Gabriella. Her eyes narrowed in disgust, she felt like he was only using her for his own benefit.

Why else would he ignore her the whole night until now?

"What do you want from me?" Gabriella asked, her voice almost emotionless.

He smiled, bringing one of his hands up to cup her cheek, she involuntarily leaned in to his touch. "I want you."

"Stop, Troy," Gabriella said, pulling out of his grasp. "You're drunk, you don't know what you're saying."

"Yes I do."

Gabriella sighed, "No, you really don't."

"Why are you always doing this?!" Troy snapped, catching Gabriella completely off guard. She wasn't used to Troy acting this way, she wasn't sure what to do.

"Doing what? I'm not doing anything," Gabriella said calmly, hoping that if she was calm he'd become calm, too.

"You're always pushing me away," Troy said, frustrated. "You weren't pushing anyone else away when you were teasing them on the dance floor."

She allowed her mouth to open, about to say something but she was speechless. Self consciously, she pulled the small strapless black dress that Sharpay had picked out for her down farther. Gabriella hadn't thought she was a tease, no one had ever told her that before. "…I'm sorry?" Gabriella said slowly, not sure if there was much else that she could say.

"Huh? What?" Troy asked as if he completely forgot what they were talking about, because he had.

Gabriella thought that it was like talking to an infant. He was wasting her time. "I think I should find Chad to take you home," She said slowly as if he were a child who didn't understand. She wrapped an arm around his shoulder to steady him, feeling as though she were nurturing him in a way.

It didn't take long for her to find Chad who had an unreadable expression on his features. At first, he looked like he wanted to burst out laughing but then the look on his face turned more sympathetic.

Gabriella wasn't sure who he had sympathy for, Troy _or _her.

"You should, uhm," Gabriella gestured towards Troy who was playing with a loose thread on her dress. "Take him home?"

"I don't want to go home," Troy whined.

Sharpay was shaking her head while Chad got a hold of Troy. "I don't think you have much of a choice."

Watching as Sharpay shut the door of Troy's truck where Troy had passed out in the backseat, Gabriella ran a hand through her mass of curls. "You know, Gabi.." Chad muttered while holding Troy's car keys, prepared to drive his friend home. "He's not always like this. Give him a chance."

She nodded slowly, not quite sure what else she could do.

"Come on, let me take you home," Sharpay said with a sigh, slipping her arm around her friend's shoulder.

* * *

She played with her hair, wondering if it was pretty enough. She wiped off the makeup that had been applied to her eyes, wondering why she had even tried. She changed out of the beautiful black dress and the dazzling silver flats that Sharpay had chosen for her, wondering why she was trying to fool herself.

Down on the lower floor of her house, Gabriella heard the door open and close quietly. She knew that her father was only trying not to disturb her if she was sleeping. For the past couple nights it had been almost a routine for Daniel. He'd always hang out with Haley after she was finished closing up the diner.

Gabriella pulled out the earrings that she had worn to the dance, they had matched perfectly with her shoes. With her hair clipped back half up, the earrings _made_ the outfit. At least that's what Sharpay had told her.

It would be an understatement if she said that she was tired. Gabriella wasn't only tired physically but she was emotionally exhausted. She refused to spend her summer chasing after someone who wouldn't recognize her. She wasn't sure how she would start, but she knew she wasn't going to let Troy Bolton get the best of her.

She turned off the light in her bedroom, watching as the bright walls turned black, almost making her lose her thoughts completely. The only light she could see was the moon as it shined brightly in the night sky, outside her window. It was nights like these that made Gabriella think about her mother and why she had chosen to leave her and Daniel. In the end, she always convinced herself that there was no reasonable excuse for leaving them.

How could you leave someone that you had once claimed to love?

Thinking about that always lead Gabriella's mind to travel to other places. What was love anyway? She knew that there was different kinds of love. After all, Gabriella loved her father with all her heart, but she often found herself dreaming of what the other love would be like. She'd seen it before, whether it was acting on television or the real thing.

Whenever she saw Chad and Sharpay she couldn't help but smile. They were adorable together, in ways they probably didn't even know. Gabriella longed for someone to be that way with her, to finish her sentences, to make her smile whenever she felt as if her world were breaking apart.

Frowning slightly as she settled her head on her pillow, Gabriella pulled her blanket to her chin, wondering why Troy's name always found it's way into her head when she thought about love. She believed in the saying 'everything happens for a reason'. Gabriella knew that she would always want something more with Troy, the only thing she didn't know was what he wanted.

Troy was like a difficult book to her. He was almost impossible to read.

Gabriella rubbed her eyes restlessly, trying to let sleep wash over her. Her mind had other ideas, though, and instead all she could keep thinking about was where she and Troy stood. Were they friends? She wasn't sure if she wanted to be his friend. Closing her eyes, Gabriella breathed out slowly, allowing sleep to over take her.

* * *

The room was spinning.

He could barely open his eyes due to the unbearable pain that occurred whenever he tried to.

Sunlight poured through the small slits in-between the closed blinds that lay on the window, a clear sign that it was a brand new day. Troy groaned and rolled over so his face could be shielded with the pillow. As he breathed deeply and began feeling almost awake, Troy raised his head from the pillow, realizing he wasn't in his own room at all.

When he came to think about it, he didn't even remember what he had done last night. Troy vaguely remembered that he and Chad were meeting up with Sharpay and Gabriella. Something clicked in his mind. _Chad_. He was in Chad's room. Troy released a long sigh of relief when he heard the sound of footsteps approaching Chad's room.

The door creaked open slowly, the sound causing Troy's headache to increase, if that was even possible.

"Bolton? You awake?" Chad asked, keeping his voice low. He must have known how horrible Troy's hangover was.

Troy groaned in response. Chad laughed, shaking his head in disapproval. "By any chance, do you remember what happened last night?"

He rolled over again, this time so that he was looking up at the ceiling. "No."

Chad yanked the covers and threw them to the floor. "Get up, I already sacrificed my bed and now my back hurts from sleeping on the couch.."

"Why am I here?" Troy asked.

Chad shrugged. "I didn't think it would be right to abandon you passed on in your truck in front of your house. There was no way in hell that I was carrying you.."

"Passed out?" Troy rubbed at his eyes, sitting up in bed very slowly. "How did I get here then?"

"I woke you up? Don't you remember anything?" Chad asked in disbelief.

Troy shook his head and closed his eyes, straining to remember something, anything. But he couldn't. He always felt so stupid the morning after he had too much to drink. Suddenly he remembered seeing Gabriella and Caleb Michaels. "Brie..? She was with Caleb?"

Chad laughed again, "Yes but you made sure to break that up."

"Huh?"

"Shar just called to tell me that they were at the fair on the boardwalk, today. You know, the one they have every year.." Chad trailed off. Troy knew exactly what fair he was talking about. The fair served as free publicity for any local bands. Basically, there was a stage set up on the boardwalk and it was open to anyone. "She called to make sure we knew we weren't invited."

Typical, Troy thought. Whenever she was angry at either of the Sharpay made a big deal out of it. What he didn't understand was why she was mad. What had happened last night, he wondered. "Why?"

"I guess Gabi doesn't want to be around you right now," Chad said with another shrug.

Troy groaned again, but this time out of frustration. He was frustrated with himself. He never knew why he always pushed away everything that was good in his life. It was almost as if he couldn't control himself. "What did I do?"

"You know, the usual thing you do when you're drunk," Chad said, a smirk spreading slowly on his face. "You were and ass, I just don't think Gabi was used to it, give her time."

"I don't want to give her time. I don't want her to think I'm like that." Despite his raging headache, Troy forced himself out of bed, noticing he was wearing the same clothes as yesterday. "When you were in my truck last night, did you see any clothes laying around?"

Chad looked dumb struck for a moment, but recovered quickly. "Nope, just your guitar. Why…?"

"I guess this will do," Troy told Chad, even though he knew he still reeked of alcohol. He slipped on his shoes that had been discarded by the bed the night before. "You said my guitar was in there?"

"Yes? Bolton, what the hell are you doing?" Chad asked as Troy raced out of the room, down the stairs and out the front door.

He rummaged through the backseat of his truck checking to see if Chad had been right. Hurriedly, Troy eased the strap of the guitar case over his shoulder. "I'm going to the fair. I'll catch up with you later."

"What? Wait, didn't you hear me? We aren't invited," Chad said almost sarcastically, stressing what Sharpay had told him over the phone that morning.

Troy shrugged, a defiant smile forming on his face. "Does it look like I care?"


	8. My Beautiful Rescue

Ello Puppets!

I love you guys.

Nuff' said.

**Disclaimer** I don't own these characters from _High School Musical_ or This Providence's _My Beautiful Rescue_

That song is truly amazing.

Watch the music video, it's beyond adorable.

* * *

**My Beautiful Rescue**

To lack confidence would be lacking bravery. To lack bravery would be to lack courage. And to lack courage…well, you might as well be missing out on everything in life.

* * *

Troy didn't know how he would do it. He wasn't even on the stage yet and he could already feel his throat closing up, disallowing him to sing.

But he knew he was only nervous. Troy was stunned at how he had been able to become so nervous lately. Never in his life had he thought that one girl would have the power to make _him _nervous.

Even when he had the ball in the championship basketball game and the Wildcats were down two points, he wasn't the least bit nervous. There was less then ten seconds left in the game when Troy was fouled, giving him two free throws. He knew that all the pressure was now on him to win the game but he simply didn't let it bother him.

His whole life he'd been practicing his free throws everyday using the small basketball net in his backyard. With his father's help, Troy's free throws were flawless, _perfection_.

While the entire gym sat in nail-biting suspense as Troy lined up to take the free throws, he smirked, knowing exactly how the game would end as it played in his head what he needed to do.

Taking his time, Troy executed both free throws, tying up the score with time to spare. Easily, he regained possession of the ball, looking for an open teammate but they were all looking for him to finish it off. They had expected him to end the game with a victory.

Without thinking twice, Troy passed the ball to Chad who hadn't been expecting it. Chad looked like a lost puppy as he held the ball in his hands but just as quickly as he received it, he snapped back into his game and let the ball brush his finger tips as it left his hands, immediately coming in contact with the basket.

The gym was so quiet Troy swore that he could hear his own heartbeat and the swishing of the net as the ball went through it. The crowd went wild for Wildcat's and of course, Chad, who was still in shock that Troy had even passed the ball to him. Troy just kept that same smirk plastered on his face, knowing that he had no reason to ever be nervous. He had everything planned out in his head and that was all he needed.

But now, Troy shook his head at the thought, wondering how he had once been so ignorant. He was chewing on a piece of gum he'd found in his guitar case, chomping so hard his teeth hurt. It wasn't helping him calm down like he'd hoped for.

Troy could see it now. The boardwalk had balloons tied to the entrances, welcoming anyone. It was a more crowded than it normally was. There were families with small children, older couples, and of course, what seemed like almost everyone he knew at school. This only made him more nervous.

No one knew that the basketball caption extraordinaire also had other talents. No one knew that he had a voice that was so powerful, so pure that it could have everyone's attention after singing one note or lyric.

He turned up onto the ramp that led to the boardwalk almost hesitantly, clutching his guitar case for dear life. Troy could feel people already staring at him, wondering what he was doing. His paranoia was so strong that sweat began to form on his forehead. Troy put his head down, looking at the wooden boards as he came even closer to the stage that was surrounded by onlookers. Currently, previous performers were clearing the stage. The audience was still clapping loudly.

There was so many of them, Troy thought as he moved closer. He wouldn't even be able to find Gabriella or Sharpay in a crowd like that. He scratched the back of his neck as people started to recognize him in the crowd, calling out his name. The stage was now completely cleared and Troy knew that it was his turn now. His hand that was holding the handle on his guitar case shakily held the case tighter as he slowly walked up the short steps of the stage.

* * *

Earlier that morning, Gabriella had barely heard her cell phone ringing from inside her purse that she'd tossed carelessly the night before. Sharpay had called with an invite to one of Jacksonville's music fairs. The idea excited her because she'd get to see undiscovered talents that actually lived nearby. Sometimes Gabriella secretly fantasized about marrying a rock star.

She wore a bikini underneath her denim shorts and green tube top, hoping to hit the beach later since it was such a nice day. When she and Sharpay had arrived at the boardwalk, Gabriella was surprised by the amount of people who were there. She didn't know that this open-mic fair was such a big deal.

Gabriella was enjoying it, though. Just spending time with Sharpay was a lot more fun than what she could only imagine hanging out with Troy would be like after the night before. Sharpay had even told her that she'd called Chad and ranted about how disappointed she was about both his and Troy's actions last night even though Chad had done nothing wrong.

The thought made Gabriella laugh, loving how Sharpay could be like a scolding mother to the two teenage boys. Gabriella was now sitting on a bench beside the audience, finding it much too crowded as she shared a pretzel with Sharpay.

"What the hell is he doing?!" Sharpay exclaimed suddenly, causing Gabriella's eyes to follow Sharpay's gaze, wondering what she was talking about. What she saw almost caused her to fall off the bench as she leaned forward in disbelief, knowing that the person on stage holding his guitar could not be Troy.

He was the basketball star, not the singer. She knew that he was always trying to protect his reputation. But what she couldn't figure out was what he was doing on the stage.

She could hear him clear his throat into the microphone while Sharpay stood abruptly, yanking Gabriella to her feet, dragging her stunned friend into the crowd so that they had a better view of Troy.

"He's not going to sing, is he?" Gabriella finally spoke, her voice sounding almost hoarse and scratchy. Her deep brown eyes were focused mainly on Troy and she couldn't look away. Despite the fact that he was wearing the same clothes as yesterday, Gabriella couldn't imagine him looking any better.

Sharpay shrugged, waiting for what Troy would say next. The crowd, which was basically made up of their high school's student body, looked just as surprised as Gabriella and Sharpay. Everyone remained silent waiting for an explanation as to why the basketball captain was holding a guitar center stage.

"Hey," Troy greeted nervously, his eyes searching the crowd for someone he was about to sing for. "I bet no one thought they'd see me performing today," He said with a nervous chuckle. In response, there were few murmurs in the crowd along with many people nodding their head.

"Honestly, I didn't think I'd be here today, either," Troy told everyone. "I um, wrote this song for a friend. She was able to open my eyes to new things and I know now that no one should be afraid to show people who they really are."

Sharpay's eyes widened like saucers and so did many other people. There were jealous eyes now searching the crowd, just like Troy, looking for whom he could possibly be talking about.

Chad seemed to appear out of nowhere in front of Sharpay and Gabriella, his head bent low and his hands on top of his knees, panting, out of breath. "Please tell me I didn't miss it," Chad choked out and Sharpay shook her head. Gabriella was still speechless, her eyes glued to Troy's blue eyes, wondering if he could see her.

"So," Troy's voice cut through the crowd. "This song's for Gabriella. I hope you're out there listening."

"Gabriella?" Girl's voices whispered enviously.

"He's lost it," Chad muttered.

"He's seriously going to sing?!" Sharpay exclaimed, still not past the fact that Troy was even up there.

But all noise was drowned out to Gabriella. All she could hear was the strumming of Troy's guitar. She felt like it was the first night she had met him all over again. His voice was the only thing that mattered to her at the moment.

"_I've been jumping from the tops of buildings, for the thrill of the fall, ignoring sound advice and any thought of consequence_."

The audience grew deathly silent, making Gabriella's ears only alert to Troy and the sound of her rapid heartbeat.

"_My bones are shattered. My pride is shattered. And in the midst of this self-inflicted pain, I can see my beautiful rescue_."

Sharpay smiled like a proud parent. "Awwww." Chad shushed her momentarily.

"_I'm falling more in love with every single word I withhold. I'm falling more in love with every single word you say. I'm falling head-over-heels for you_."

Some members of the audience clapped along as Troy sang. Letting go of his inhibitions, Troy kept singing, forgetting about all the starring faces, only caring about one which he still couldn't find.

"_I've been dancing on the tops of buildings. At the top of my lungs I'm singing you a song. Don't you leave me alone. My bones were shattered. My pride lays shattered. Well I'll trample my pride and tell the whole word to dance with me_."

Gabriella could feel a sharp tickling sensation at the back of her eyes but she pushed it aside as her eyes connected with Troy's blue eyes, causing him to smile. His eyes burned with such force is made her weak at the knees.

"_I'm falling more in love with every single word I withhold. I'm falling more in love with every single word you say. I'm falling head-over-heels for you_."

A huge, toothy grin formed on her face, one that Gabriella knew she would never be able to wipe off. Sharpay and Chad were smiling now, too. The rest of the audience were shocked at Troy's ability to sing. It would be an understatement to say that he had talent. He was incredible.

"_I'm crying out, 'Wash my hands, these bloody hands Lord, open my mouth and I'll sing.' I'm falling more in love with every single word I withhold. I'm falling more in love with every single word you say. I'm falling head-over-heels for you_."

There were no words to describe what Gabriella and Troy were feeling. Troy felt like he was ontop of the world just because of the way Gabriella was looking at him while he sang to her. No one had ever looked at him that way before. He never wanted anyone besides her to look at him like that. Troy smiled and couldn't believe why he'd been so nervous to show people that he could sing. Now that he was on the stage, singing his heart out, he'd felt as though it were one of the most easiest tasks.

The strumming of his guitar grew lower as he prepared to finish off the song, his eyes still intently connected to Gabriella's.

"_I've been dancing on the tops of buildings, with you_."

As the crowd burst into roaring applause, but Gabriella thought her world had been muted. Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion as Troy exited the stage, the crowd parting for him like the red sea. She could barely feel the small push on her back as Sharpay shoved her towards Troy who was approaching her. She could feel everyone's eyes on her, wondering who she was and why Troy had felt so strongly about her.

Gabriella's breath caught in her throat as Troy smiled almost shyly at her, his hands wrapping in a tight embrace around her waist, pulling her into a hug. She could barely hear Sharpay's squeals of delight.

Troy pulled away to see Gabriella's smile widen as she brought her arms to rest around his neck. She could feel his hands burning into her lower back as his forhead leaned against hers.

"I'm sorry," He whispered just before he brushed his lips against hers, afraid of the reaction he'd get from her.

She could feel sparks and suddenly, her life became a movie. Gabriella couldn't believe that he had kissed her, but what she couldn't believe more was that she was kissing him back.

The kiss was so fierce she could feel herself melt which made Troy only hold onto her tightly as if he were her life line.

"So you're falling for me, huh?" Gabriella whispered against his lips after pulling away for a breath.

"Now it's your turn to catch me."


	9. That's What You Get

Sorry for the lack of updates

I've been so busy and I got another idea for a new story but I don't want to write anything new until this story is finished.

I love writing this story, anyways.

* * *

**That's What You Get**

If sometimes you feel as though your skies are grey and you'll never see the sun again just remember, if you believe, the sun is always stronger and it will find a way to shine through. But if you let something or perhaps someone get you down... you may have a future of rainy days.

* * *

"So…" Sharpay drew out purposely with a huge grin on her face. She felt as though she had contributed to bringing together a match made in heaven since she had been the first to meet Gabriella then she later introduced her to Chad and Troy. "Are you and Troy boy together?" Sharpay practically squealed, no loner being able to contain her excitement.

Gabriella shrugged nonchalantly, the straps of her tank top that she was wearing as pajamas falling down past her shoulders while doing so. She quickly fixed the blue straps and looked at her surroundings, feeling so out of place in the room that was practically only pink. Sharpay's room had pink wallpaper, a pink bed comforter, fuzzy pink carpet and even pink curtains on her windows. "_Together_?" The word sounded too wrong to her since she didn't even know where she and Troy had left off. Were they together?

After his performance at the fair the rest of the day had went by so quickly. Like any other normal day, Sharpay, Chad, Gabriella and Troy hung out as if nothing had even happened although Gabriella knew her whole world had changed. Now she was left wondering how Troy was affected or if he was even affected.

No matter what he did, Troy didn't make himself easier to read.

"You know, finally going out?" Sharpay said with feign annoyance. "He's your boy toy and you're his gal pal?"

"What the hell?" Gabriella asked with a giggle and threw a pillow at her blond friend who looked shocked by the sudden attack.

Sharpay laughed and picked up one of her pink fluffy pillows. "He's your _mannnn _candy," She teased while swinging her pillow at Gabriella.

"Just imagine if your pervy boyfriend were here right now," Gabriella joked and picked up another pillow, starting a full pillow fight.

Sharpay gasped and swung her pillow harder, hitting Gabriella with full force in the stomach, causing her to double over onto her knees. "He is _not_ a pervert."

Gabriella laughed and rolled her eyes, "Sure he's not," She said sarcastically.

"All boys are, though," Sharpay stated defensively, always having the instinct to defend her man no matter what. "Enough about Chad _and _Troy. I want the juicy gossip."

"Juicy gossip?"

Sharpay examined her nails while pulling at one of the lose strings on her pillow. "What's going on with my mother-in-law and your hot dad?"

"First of all, _ew_," Gabriella clarified. Sharpay was always saying how attractive she found Daniel which altogether made Gabriella grimace. "Second of all, your mother-in-law?" Gabriella asked, laughing at how serious Sharpay had been when she said it. It was almost as if Haley actually was Sharpay's mother-in-law, based on the tone Sharpay had used when she said that.

"_Future _mother-in-law," Sharpay corrected herself with a sly grin.

"They're friends… I think."

"You think?" She asked Gabriella. "It's a simple question, is Haley shacking off with your dad or not?"

"Again, _ew_."

Sharpay rolled her eyes but laughed anyway. "I think there's definitely something going on."

Gabriella nodded, agreeing. There was no denying that there wasn't something going on. Lately, her father seemed to be walking on air. He was always so incredibly happy. The other day Gabriella could have sworn that she heard Daniel singing in the shower. Never in her life had she seen him this happy.

"I don't want to ask him about it unless it's serious, you know?" Gabriella pondered. "As for now, they're friends."

Suddenly Gabriella felt the bed move as Sharpay frantically began moving back and forth on her knees. "Ooh ooh ooh," Sharpay yelped like an excited child. Gabriella laughed now that she was accustomed to Sharpay's sudden outburst. "Speaking of Haley…"

Quirking one of her eye brows in confusion, Gabriella studied her blond friend. "What about your future mother-in-law?" She joked.

"Remember the other day when you were talking about how you wanted to get a job?"

Gabriella nodded, recalling the time she and Sharpay were lounging on the beach, soaking in the suns rays. With all of the spare time that she had, Gabriella had thought it would be a good idea to get a summer job and start saving up her own money. Sharpay Evans, being Sharpay Evans, had told her that the idea was absurd and wondered why she would even want a job.

Though Gabriella and Sharpay were practically already best friends and inseparable, they were polar opposites.

Now, as Gabriella sat on Sharpay's bed, she felt a smile form on her face, now that she was assured that Sharpay actually listened to what she had to say during their many random conversations.

"Yeah, what does Haley have to do with that…?"

"Well…" Sharpay drew out the word with amusement. "She always has room in her diner for helpers. Chad and _Troy_ work there to earn a few bucks."

Gabriella felt herself stiffen. Working with Troy? That'd be interesting. "No, that'd be asking to much."

"Asking? You don't have to ask, I already took care of that," Sharpay stated.

"Shar!" Gabriella exclaimed, feeling as though she had been left out of these plans that involved her.

"What? It's no big deal, Haley said so herself," Sharpay assured her. "You know it will be fun," She urged Gabriella with a smile. "Working with Troy…" Sharpay tried convincing her. "Besides, if Haley's out prancing with your dad, this is the least she can do for you."

"For the billionth time…_ew_."

* * *

Fun.

That was how Sharpay had described working with Troy would be.

How wrong was she.

Now that she was starting her first day on the job, Gabriella still hadn't talked to Troy about their kiss at the music fair. A times, she even wondered if maybe he'd forgotten it.

If only she knew.

When Gabriella arrived, she allowed her eyes to scan over the diner nervously. She didn't think she could handle looking into those pools of blue that belonged to none other than Troy Bolton. After she had settled in and Haley told her the basics of the job, Gabriella had relaxed more.

It was simple. Basically to start off, she would help clean up and lock up the diner. As she became more accustomed to it, Haley had told her that she could move on to something that Gabriella thought suited her. Gabriella decided already that Haley was going to be an awesome boss. She was funny, nice, and considerate.

"Hey Gabi," Haley called as she pulled off her apron and stepped out from behind the counters. "I'm going to be heading out, I have plans with Da-" Haley backtracked and looked at the teenager she was speaking to, completely forgetting for a moment that Gabriella was Daniel's daughter. "Well I have plans," Haley chuckled nervously causing a smirk to form on Gabriella's face. "Can you lock up tonight? Chad and Troy will be here any minute to help clean this place up. If you have any problems I'm sure one of them will help you," Haley told her, grabbing her car keys.

"Sure, it'd be no problem," Gabriella told her, knowing exactly who she had plans with.

"Thanks so much Gabi."

"No problem, have a good night," She said to Haley with a warm smile. "Oh and Haley?" Gabriella said as Haley's hand turned the knob on the door to exit Danforth's diner.

"Yes?"

"Tell my dad I said hello."

Haley's cheeks burned with embarrassment. "Uhm, uh, yeah," She stuttered, knowing Daniel's daughter had caught her. "I'll do that. Goodnight," Haley said, leaving quickly.

Gabriella found herself in an empty diner now, humming a tune that wasn't familiar to herself to pass the time. Finding the broom, Gabriella decided that she'd start cleaning up behind the counter. As she swept crumbs into a pile, she heard the bells on the diner's door jingle loudly, indicating someone rushing into the door. She looked up a moment to see Chad dribbling a basketball between his legs, looking like he was in deep concentration.

"And he fakes right, fakes left…" Chad roared in a cheesy sport's announcers voice, unaware of Gabriella's presence in the diner. "Oh no, he loses possession…"

"And Troy swoops in to save his ass like always," Troy stated cockily in his own announcer's voice, picking up the basketball that had rolled from Chad's hands. Gabriella had to bite her lip from laughing out loud. She couldn't believe how childish the two boys could be. They had a way of always making her smile.

"Unfair, dude, you know that's not true," Chad told Troy, his voice returning to normal.

"What's not true?"

"How you say you're always saving my ass. It's more like the other way around," Chad pointed out like it was obvious.

"Oh really?" Troy challenged.

Chad expelled a defiant breath. "Yes really. I save you from making an ass out of yourself all the time."

Troy rolled his eyes. Gabriella still couldn't believe that she was still going unnoticed by the two boys. She was staring straight at them in clear view.

"I save you from looking stupid," Troy said. "And trust me, that's almost _all _the time."

"And you never look stupid?" Chad asked.

"I never said that," Troy dropped the basketball in his hands, stepping closer to his friend. Gabriella thought it was dumb how boys found a way to fight over pointless things.

"You implied it," Chad told him, refusing to back down.

"I think you both look stupid," Gabriella interjected, a broom still in her hand as the two surprised boys faced her. Troy's face immediately reddened when he saw who the girl was.

"What are you doing here?" Chad asked, forgetting about his argument with Troy and turning his attention to Gabriella. "Is Sharpay here, too?"

"I work here, and no, she isn't," Gabriella informed while staring at Troy who was awkwardly keeping his gaze on the floor as if his shoes were more interesting.

"Work here? Oh wow this shall be interesting," Chad joked while looking at his two friends, sensing a tension between the two. His brown eyes suddenly had a glint to them as they brightened with an idea. "Well I think I should be cleaning in the kitchen," Chad said, coming up with an excuse to leave them alone, knowing that the kitchen would separate him from Troy and Gabriella.

"No, let me," Troy pleaded, wanting to avoid confrontation for now.

This made Gabriella's eyes narrow, slightly because she was hurt and because she was angry.

"No, I insist," Chad told him, swiftly moving behind the counter and into the kitchen.

Gabriella continued sweeping, not letting Troy interfere with her job. If he didn't want to talk to her, she wouldn't force him. But no matter what she did, she couldn't help but feel herself being drawn to him.

He cleared his throat. Gabriella wasn't sure if it was to get her attention or not. She stopped sweeping momentarily, raising her head only to have her eyes connect with his. Automatically, Gabriella felt her breath catch in her throat.

"So uh, you're going to be working here?" Troy asked slowly, not sure what else to say.

He could feel Gabriella's eyes burn through him as she moved from behind the counter, coming closer to him. He studied her movements, wondering what she was thinking.

"Is this how it's going to be?" Gabriella snapped, catching Troy off guard with her anger. "You think you can decide when you want to ignore me and when you want to talk. I don't want it to be like this, Troy," Gabriella rambled, her emotions pouring out of her that she had kept inside for the past few days.

"Ignoring you?" Troy asked, both stunned and flabbergasted. "You think I'm ignoring you?"

"What else would you call this?"

He rubbed the back of his neck and Gabriella smirked, knowing that he was nervous and that he didn't know what to say.

"It's called ignoring, Troy," Gabriella pushed the subject further, watching as he squirmed like he was being examined under a microscope.

"It's not on purpose." Troy said, feeling his throat tighten. His eyes traveled up and down her body, slowly. Her confidence and defiantness was surprisingly turning him on. He could picture himself on top of her as she rest on top of one of the diner's tables.

"Then why, Troy?" Gabriella's voice interrupted his pleasant thoughts and he could feel himself becoming turned on. He shifted uncomfortably.

"What?"

"Never mind," Gabriella huffed, sitting down on one of the stools that wrapped around the counter.

Now Troy moved closer, noticing how truly upset she looked. "I'm sorry. I wasn't trying to ignore you."

"What am I to you? Tell me what you're thinking."

Troy almost laughed, wondering what she would think if he actually told her what he was thinking about. It involved the two of them with no clothes on. He didn't know that he was now smiling.

"You think this is funny?" Gabriella said, feeling her eyes narrow again. "Why can't you just tell me the truth?"

"The truth?" Troy laughed this time, no longer being able to resist.

"Yes the truth. I don't know what you find so funny about that…"

"You want to know what I'm thinking?" Troy repeated, his eyes sparkling with his amusement.

She nodded, staring at him incredulously. Her eyes pleaded with his.

"Honestly…" Troy bit his bottom lip, stepping closer, resting his hands on the counter on both sides of her, caging her between him. "I'm thinking about how badly I want you."


	10. Admit It

I know this is late but I hope all of you had a rad fourth of July.

Sorry for the delay, I haven't had much time to write anything.

I like this chapter, hopefully you will, too.

Oh and there also is a line from one of my favorite television shows, _One Tree Hill_, in this chapter but I altered it.

Let's see if you can find it!

By-the-way, this chapter picks up exactly where I left off.

Review, please? Thanks a bunches. I love you peoples **:)**

**Disclaimer** I don't own anything from _High School Musical_, fool . Okay so I'm not gangster...

* * *

**Admit It**

Sometimes, in the midst of all confusion, you just have to come to face the truth. The truth might not be as hard to find as you may have thought. Say what you want and do what you feel. Nothing is holding you back. _Nothing._

* * *

"I, I um…" Gabriella stuttered, feeling the temperature in the room increase drastically. "What?" Either she couldn't trust her own hearing or she didn't want to believe what Troy was saying to her.

Troy smirked, leaning closer so that his breath tickled her ear. "You heard me," He whispered, causing a shiver to run along Gabriella's spine. She backed up until she felt the hard surface of the counter against her, frantically searching his blue eyes for the truth. All she could see was the dominating look of lust, so strong that it made her feel like she would fall off the chair if she weren't leaning against the countertop.

"You…" Gabriella began to say but felt her throat tighten as Troy brushed his lips across her jaw, working his way down her neck. "You love confusing me."

"No…" He said with a satisfied smirk as he searched her neck with his lips for her weak spot.

"I should be working," Gabriella said, trying to keep her composure and not let Troy get what he wanted. A moan worked it's way up her throat as Troy reached his destination and began nibbling on the soft flesh. "Troy…" Gabriella pleaded, knowing that she was quickly losing this battle.

Purposely, Troy pressed his groin to hers, allowing Gabriella to see the truth in his statement. "I want you," He repeated again, this time his blue eyes captured her gaze, never wanting to look away. Gabriella took his face in her hands, crashing his lips against hers, nearly knocking him over.

Troy got over the surprise attack momentarily, kissing her back eagerly, not being able to get enough of her. Whenever he kissed her his whole body felt like it was put into shock. But most of all, it felt so right. Throughout the past month Troy couldn't believe how she had become such a need to him. She was all he could think about half the time and the other half of the time was usually spent with her.

He broke the kiss for a breath, staring into her eyes, his blue eyes filled with passion boring into her own. "Tell me that you want me too…" He mumbled, reattaching his lips to her neck where a mark started to form.

Gabriella gasped upon the contact knowing that she could so easily say what he wanted her to. But she didn't want to give in. She couldn't. She wanted him to know that she was just as much in charge as he was. No longer would she let Troy's actions dictate her emotions.

"I.." Gabriella began to say, her voice low.

"Say it," He urged as Gabriella bit her tongue, Troy's lips still working their magic on her neck. She could feel herself giving into him. "I've wanted you since you sang with me on the beach," Troy told her, his voice husky. Gabriella almost shivered, remembering that was only her first night in Florida and her first night meeting Troy.

He was testing her. Gabriella just knew it. He thought he could get his way.

"I…" Gabriella said again as Troy kissed the side of her lips, smirking, feeling in control. "Need to get back to _working_," Gabriella finally stated, pushing firmly against Troy's chest that was now heaving for breath. His eyes remained wide in disbelief. Turned down? He had never even considered that as an option before.

Troy fell backwards slightly but he refused to let her go. Wrapping his arms firmly around her waist, Troy pressed his forehead against Gabriella's. "You don't need to say it because I just know," Troy told her, trying to keep up the confident act which was hard when it came to dealing with Gabriella.

"Troy…work," She told his distractedly, seeming tired and fed up. Troy closed the gap between them, sealing her lips with a kiss but this time he was more gentle making Gabriella feel like she was about to melt. He pulled away against Gabriella's wishes and tenderly ran a finger down the side of her face, his own way of apologizing.

"And he fakes left once again…"

Troy and Gabriella jumped apart when they heard the sound of their obnoxious friend returning from the kitchen. Chad eyed them suspiciously as the two stood completely silent. Gabriella's eyes wandered aimlessly around the diner. "Well it doesn't look any cleaner than it did when I left…" Chad observed out loud. "So I'm guessing you guys solved… whatever needed to be solved?" Chad asked with a knowing smile.

Troy coughed, nodding awkwardly.

"Good," Chad stated, a pleased look settling on his face. "Gabi, I forgot to welcome you to the diner. Well working I mean. Usually Troy and I welcome new employers by pranking them but I guess I'll let you slide," Chad said with a wink, breaking the awkward tension in the room as Gabriella smiled.

"So…" Troy said slowly, grabbing hold of the broom that Gabriella had abandoned. "Let's get cleaning?" He suggested but Chad shook his head.

"It's a time for a celebration," Chad told his friends who just looked at him with confusion. "Now that it's the three of us working here, things will be a lot more interesting."

"Yeah,_ interesting_," Troy mumbled.

Chad disappeared into the back of the kitchen, returning with a gallon of vanilla ice cream and three spoons. He flipped the lid of the carton, tossing the other two spoons to Gabriella and Troy.

Gabriella watched with amusement as the two boys stuffed their faces, making the ice cream look a lot less appetizing to her.

"Come on Gabs, we don't have cooties," Chad said, sounding like an immature child.

"Yeah Brie," Troy said, tugging her hand, effectively pulling her closer to the countertop where the carton of ice cream sat. He heard the giggle that always managed to put a smile on his face as he pulled her onto his lap, his hands instinctively resting on her sides. Chad rolled his eyes as he looked at Troy and Gabriella, not being able to figure out why they weren't together. Watching as Troy murmured words into Gabriella's ear, Chad almost groaned.

"Would you two stop acting like a married couple?" Chad asked, faking disgust. Gabriella turned her face away, hiding the her reddened cheeks.

"Gabriella Bolton?" Troy questioned, acting as though he could care less about the comments Chad insisted on making. "That sounds good to me, how about you, Brie?" Troy smiled, holding Gabriella closer to him.

"I think we really need to get back to work."

* * *

"It's clean enough," Chad told them, calling it quits while locking the diner door after all three of them exited. "It's late anyway."

Gabriella looked up at the dark night sky, nodding in agreement. It was almost 11:30. Besides, she was tired as well. She shivered slightly, wrapping her arms around her middle for warmth.

"Hoops, you still coming over?" Chad asked Troy who seemed to be off in his own world.

Troy shook his head. "Nah, I think I'm going to walk Gabi home."

"What? No, I can walk a few blocks by myself."

"Well I'm sure you are able to walk a few blocks alone but I don't want you to," Troy told her, his final decision made and he knew that she wouldn't be able to change his mind.

Chad laughed while turning in the direction of his house, walking backwards so he was facing Troy and Gabriella. "Pick your poison, Troy," Chad told him, causing Troy to roll his eyes. "Night' Gabs."

"See you tomorrow," Gabriella called after him with a small wave of her hand. She waited until Chad was out of range so he couldn't hear what she would say next. "Are you going to pounce on me again?" Gabriella asked with a smirk, walking towards her house leaving Troy looking at her retreating back.

"You're kidding, right?" Troy asked with amazement. He didn't know how she could be like this with him. He knew that if she were any other girl he'd have her already. But that was the difference, she wasn't any other girl. She was Gabriella and her boldness stunned him.

"Nope," She replied, not even bothering to turn around. She kept walking forward, ignoring his presence.

"I think you enjoyed the 'pouncing'," Troy stated, quickening his walking pace until they were side by side.

"Oh really?"

"If I'm recalling correctly, yeah," He persisted, trying to catch her eye but Gabriella wouldn't look his way. Her eyes were trained forward.

"Well… from what _I _recall, you don't recall anything correctly," She told him with a shrug.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You know what it's supposed to mean."

"Montez… are you calling me dumb?" Troy asked, his eyes twinkling with amusement.

"Not exactly…" She laughed but kept walking, enjoying this game she and Troy were playing.

"Brie," Troy reached for her hand, wanting nothing more then to feel her closeness. He didn't think he could take much more of her teasing.

Gabriella smirked and stopped walking, pausing momentarily to sit on a bench on the edge of the sidewalk. She noticed the glow of Troy's tan skin from the streetlight that hung above them. "Has anyone ever told you that you're the most confusing person in the world?" She stated randomly. Troy looked at her, finally seeing her for the first time that night. He could tell that she was confused and the expression on her face almost hurt him.

"They say I'm probably the best looking person in the world," He winked. "I'm sorry, I really don't mean to be confusing," Troy said, sitting down beside her on the bench. He shifted uncomfortably. She laughed, surprising herself and Troy.

"I know that you don't _try_ to be confusing," Gabriella said with a smile, "But you just are. It's a part that makes you, you."

"Oh really?"

"Yes, I'm not saying that I necessarily like it…" She nudged him with her shoulder, jokingly.

"But you like me so it's okay," Troy laughed and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. The moment Gabriella's face lifted her eyes came in contact with his own, neither one of them wanting to break the stare. She felt his hand grasp hers tightly and she quickly turned away, knowing that she was easily getting lost in his eyes once again. "Brie, look at me," Troy coaxed, his thumb gently moving over her knuckles.

"I really need to go home, though," Gabriella said finally after the moment of silence. But even if she wanted to make a move to get up and leave, she knew that she couldn't.

"Hold on," Troy said, racking his brain for the right things to say. Whenever she was around him all he wanted to do was say anything to make her smile. "I'm really sorry, you know, for ignoring you. I don't even realize when I'm doing it sometimes."

"That's no excuse, Bolton."

"I know it's not. I just…" He leaned his forehead on his propped hand for support, shutting his eyes. "I can't even begin to describe the way you've been making me feel."

Gabriella felt a smile tug at the edges of her lips. "Walk me home?"

* * *

Troy let go of her hand that had been laced with his when he reached her house.

"So…I'll call you tomorrow," Troy stated as he and Gabriella climbed the steps that led to the porch of her house. Her eyes wandered around, looking for signs of her father but his car wasn't in the driveway.

"Do you want to come in?"

Troy's eyes widened. "Are you sure?"

Gabriella nodded and reached for the door knob, stepping inside but she froze immediately when Troy began to follow. "What are you doing?"

"What do you mean? You just said-"

"I asked if you _wanted_ to. Technically that doesn't serve as invitation." She said with a sly grin.

"But, Brie," Troy groaned.

"Night' Troy. See you at work."

"Yeah, work."

She could be confusing, too.

* * *

As she walked inside she could hear the television on which she found strange. Gabriella had thought that no one was home. She almost jumped when she found her father in the living room flipping through channels on the television. Gabriella felt herself breathe a say of relief since she hadn't ended up inviting Troy inside. She couldn't even imagine what her dad would have said if she brought home a boy this late.

"Hey Dad.." Gabriella called out cautiously, causing Daniel to turn from where he was sitting on the sofa to face his daughter. "I didn't think you were home. Where's the car?"

"I took it to get the brakes fixed, I thought I told you that," He said. "How was your first day?"

"Oh you know… it was pretty basic." Gabriella yawned. "I'm just really tired."

"Then get to sleep," He told her with a smile. "Oh and stop scratching at that, it'll only make it worse," Daniel said, gesturing towards his daughters neck.

"What…?" Her eyes widened with horror, her hand flying to her neck to inspect it.

"The bug bite?" Daniel pointed out as if it were obvious. "Use bug spray next time or something," He suggested.

Gabriella's hand ran over the spot he was referring to, fingering what he thought was a 'bug bite.' But she knew better. It was her first hickey. She was overjoyed that her father only thought it was a harmless bite from a bug. She nodded, playing along with what her father was saying.

"Those bugs are really biting this year," Daniel said, scratching at his arm.

"Yeah, they're _really_ biting.."


	11. Fly Away

Hello all, THIS CHAPTER MENTIONS BIRDS.

That's right, you've heard me correctly.. birds. Feathery birds..

Okay, I'm taking it too far.

Sorry for taking so long to get this chapter out. I've been at the beach and my oh my, I just love it there. Even though I'm there all of the time.

Anyway, this chapter is kind of foreshadowing in a way but you'll never ever know.

Once again, I'm sorry that it took so long and it makes me feel bad because this chapter isn't one of my favorites.

Just read and give your opinion, I love reading your opinions.

**Disclaimer** I don't own anything from Disney's High School Musical.

* * *

**Fly Away**

Birds have it easy. Whenever they have a problem or when the going gets tough, they can fly away and flee from everything. They can drift in the ocean until it carries them to a new place or they can let the wind take them.

* * *

Gabriella was planning on spending the entire day with her dad, just hanging out and catching up since lately, they had both been rather busy. She glanced around the dining room where she and her father sat, eating lunch, Daniel's famous peanut butter and jelly sandwiches that he always insisted on making. Just eating the sandwich had the ability to put a smile on her face since her father always bragged about how amazing they truly were when really it was your average peanut butter and jelly smeared on bread. But since Daniel had no other cooking abilities he claimed that his sandwiches were pure perfection.

Suddenly, the room was filled with the obnoxious ringing of Gabriella's cell phone, causing her to jump at the unexpected sound. She had completely forgotten that she'd been waiting for a call from Troy since he had told her he would call the day before. Honestly, she hadn't thought that he'd be true to his word.

"You going to answer that?" Daniel asked with an amused smile, finding it humorous as he saw the stunned look in his daughter's eyes.

"Oh uh, yeah," She stuttered, scrambling out of her seat at the table, almost tripping over one of the table legs while doing so. Gabriella made her way into the kitchen where she had last left her phone on the countertop.

"He-Hello?" Gabriella gasped out after having lost her breath from rushing into the kitchen to answer her ringing phone.

"Brie? You okay?"

"Yeah Troy, I'm fine," She said in a low voice, hoping that her father couldn't hear her. She fanned herself with her hand to calm herself down, wondering if Troy could tell how flustered she was from receiving the sudden call.

Gabriella could hear Troy's heavy breathing on the other line and it made her wonder if he was the one who wasn't 'okay'.

"You sound like you just woke up or something," Troy pointed out in-between breaths.

"No…" She glanced quickly at Daniel to see if he was watching her but he seemed too wrapped up in his 'masterpiece' sandwich. "What are you doing?" Gabriella asked with curiosity after hearing his labored breathing.

"Running."

"So you just called me randomly while you were running?" She asked him as she hoisted herself onto the counter and absentmindedly began swinging her legs back and forth.

Troy decided to take a break from his regular jog while he talked, turning to face the ocean on the pier, watching the waves calmly cause the seagulls to float up and down on the surface. "I told you yesterday that I was going to call you."

"Yeah…what's up?"

He was distracted by the flock of birds. They all seemed to be bunched together in one large group while off to the side, a short distance away, two seagulls floated side by side. They were in unison with each other and just the thought of the pair of birds separated from the rest managed to put a smile on his face.

"Troy? You there?"

"What? Yeah, gulls' are really crazy today," He lied and turned his attention away from the two seagulls that looked at peace with each other.

She laughed quietly, "Really? What's happening?"

Troy ignored her question, his mind getting carried away once again. "Did you know that seagulls mate for life?"

"What?"

"Seagulls," Troy repeated. "You know, they're a type of bird. They attack you when they see that you have food on the beach," He joked and gripped his cell phone tighter when he heard the laugh that was like music to his ears.

"I know what a seagull is, Troy."

"Well… they mate for life. Did you know that?"

Gabriella chewed on the inside of her cheek, trying to think more thoroughly. "I thought that lobsters mate for life..?" She half stated and half questioned.

"That's true," Daniel interjected from where he sat in the dining room, not meaning to eavesdrop on his daughter's conversation.

She could hear Troy's laugh as she stepped outside into her backyard for a more private conversation.

"Like I was saying…" Troy continued, his blue eyes focusing on the seagull couple once again. "Seagulls mate for life."

"I don't think so."

"Well there's a few different kinds of seagull," Troy began to tell her.

"Like prying, screeching, annoying-"

Troy laughed but cut her off. "No, you know what I mean. The Herring. It's a type of seagull. They mate for life."

Gabriella couldn't keep herself from wondering how Troy had known this. "As _interesting _as this out-of-school learning experience is, I'm almost positive you didn't call to give me a lesson about the mating habits of seagulls."

"I know. I was just thinking out loud," Troy told her. "They say you learn something new everyday."

"That's true," Gabriella nodded even though Troy could not see her as the two spoke on the phone. "What'd you learn today?"

"That I want to see you more than I did yesterday."

Gabriella could feel the jittery sensation in her stomach that never failed to occur whenever Troy said things like that to her. Her face immediately brightened and she felt her smile widen upon hearing his words. "You're a smooth talker."

"But I'm not making this up," Troy said with a chuckle, pulling himself away from the pier as he began walking alongside of it. "I want to see you."

Gabriella could only imagine the sight of his blue eyes and how much she wanted to feel his presence around her once again. But she had promised her father that she'd hang out with him today. Besides, she missed the random talks that she and Daniel would have. Now that he was becoming preoccupied with Haley and Gabriella was beginning to work and hang out with Troy, they didn't talk as much as they used to.

She allowed her eyes to scan over the backyard. The sky was a clear blue with barely any clouds lingering nearby. She loved the way the sunlight looked as it poured through the leaves and branches of trees. Near the back of the yard there was an old tree which a wooden swing hung on one of the branches by rope. Just seeing the swing reminded her of her childhood. She knew that the yard still needed some work but she could only think about how it would be growing up in a house like this. Gabriella thought about how it would be if she had grown up with Sharpay, Chad and Troy. She wondered how different her life would have been if she and her father had moved to Jacksonville sooner.

"Brie?"

Now she had been the one who zoned out.

"Yeah?"

"Can you come meet me?"

She bit her bottom lip, wishing that she could go meet him. "I can't right now. I'm spending time with my dad today."

"Oh," Troy sighed.

"But I'll see you tonight? At the diner."

He felt the same smile form again when he thought of seeing Gabriella. "Yeah, tonight. Okay."

"I have to go, don't let the seagulls get you," She told him with a laugh.

He laughed with her, "I won't, see you later."

"Bye'," Gabriella said before hanging up and entering her house once again. As she came into the kitchen she found her father cleaning up the used dishes, eyeing her suspiciously. "What?"

Daniel gave a sly, knowing smile. "Was that your _friend_?"

Gabriella resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "Yes."

"Am I going to have to have a talk with this boy?"

Her eyes widened, her horrified expression on her face clearly giving him the answer to his question. "Wha, Why? Why would you have to do that?" She managed to choke out.

"When a boy is talking to my daughter about mating-"

Gabriella felt like ramming her head into the kitchen wall repeatedly. "Do I look like a seagull to you?"

Daniel's face contorted with confusion. "What?"

"You would never understand."

* * *

The night was rainy which came to be a surprise since the day had been so beautiful. Now the weather was atrocious and miserable. Even though Daniel had commanded that he drove her to work that night, Gabriella had found a way to sneak out unnoticed, using an umbrella to protect her from the rain.

When she got to the diner there were still some people eating, enjoying their meal before the diner closed for the night. Closing the umbrella at the door, Gabriella made sure she didn't track in water. As if instinct, her eyes began searching for Troy who was currently else where.

"Have a nice night, Hal," The last remaining couple in the diner called out before leaving and entering the storm that had approached. She smiled and waved in the same friendly way that she did with all of her customers. Gabriella was sometimes so amazed by Haley's kindness. She knew that Haley was probably the nicest person she had ever known.

"Gabi, I'm leaving early again, you'll be fine locking up?" A rushed Haley asked while she rummaged behind the counter for her jacket that she had discarded earlier that day.

Gabriella nodded, her eyes looking around the diner that didn't need too much tidying up. "Yeah I'll be fine. Is anyone else here..?"

"Yes, Troy's doing something in the back, who knows," Haley laughed while shaking her head. "Chad's out with Sharpay tonight so I think it'll be just you and Troy."

_Oh joy,_ Gabriella thought.

"See you tomorrow, hopefully," Haley said with a lopsided grin. "Usually I spend more time with employees. I'd really love to get to know you Gabi."

She smiled and Haley, "Yeah I'd like that," She told her. It was true that Gabriella wanted to know the girl who had her father smiling nonstop.

"Night', I'll be seeing you."

"Bye' Haley." She watched as her boss left the diner leaving her alone with Troy who was supposedly somewhere in the back. Sure enough, as Gabriella moved closer to the door that lead from behind the counters and into the kitchen, she could hear one of the sounds that she had grown to love and couldn't get enough of. The sound of Troy's guitar.

He wasn't singing, just creating a rhythm that Gabriella found addicting. It matched up with the pitter-patter sounds of the rain at times while other strums were much louder, matching the roaring of the thunder outside. She opened the door slowly, not wanting him to stop playing if he knew that she was listening. Troy's gaze was much too focused on the guitar that he didn't notice the door opening or Gabriella as she practically tiptoed inside.

Sitting in the stool in the corner which Troy had claimed his guitar spot, his head bolted up when he heard the soft sound of the door clicking into place. He smiled sheepishly when his blue eyes connected with her brown ones.

"So, I'm assuming you didn't get attacked by seagulls now that I see you're still in one piece," Gabriella laughed and she leaned her back against the wall.

Troy put down his guitar, standing from the stool he was on. "I cleaned up mostly everything."

"What? Why?"

Troy shrugged, his eyes wandering over her ripped jeans and red tee-shirt that had been wet from the rain. Her hair was pulled up in a messy bun on top of her head and her eyes looked tired but Troy couldn't think of a time when she looked more beautiful. "I wanted to have more time for other things."

She eyebrows rose to her forehead. "What are you suggesting?"

Judging by the look on Gabriella's face, Troy could tell that she was thinking of something else. "Get your mind out of the gutter, Montez."

"Then what did you have in mind?"

"No more questions, just follow," Troy told her as he reached for her hand and her fingers laced with his reflexively.

She allowed him to lead her out of the kitchen and into the main part of the diner. He could feel his nerves beginning to kick in as he let go of her hand, wrapping one arm around Gabriella's petite waist. "Okay, hear me out," Troy spoke softly in almost a whisper. With his free hand, he tucked a curl behind Gabriella's ear. She nodded, leaning into his touch as his hand now rested on her cheek.

"I still feel bad about blowing you off at the dance and acting like… well, an ass," Troy said, both of his arms now wrapped around Gabriella's waist. "I know this is cheesy and lame on so many levels," He said nervously, "But dance with me."

Gabriella wasn't sure if it was a question or command but the more she thought about it, she knew that it didn't matter to her. The boy that was quickly stealing her heart was pleading with his eyes. How could she resist? She brought her arms up around his neck and put her head on his shoulder, smiling when she felt Troy draw her in closer to his body. Never had she felt so at peace with herself. Troy had the ability to make her incredibly happy and she didn't think he even knew how much his gestures really meant to her.

She also loved the way he was looking at her.

"There's no music," Gabriella laughed, breaking the silence. Troy stared down into her eyes before he dropped a kiss on her forehead and swayed with her to their own beat.

"Just listen to the thunder."


	12. Just A Nightmare

Hiyah **:)**

**Warning;** This chapter is kind of different than the other ones in this story. I'm not sure if it's a good different or a bad different, you decide.

So, I was walking back from the beach today when another idea for a story hit me.

Usually I don't start new stories until the ones I am currently writing are finished but I may have to just start it.

If I do start it, will everyone read the new story, too?

I haven't decided yet. I think I might just wait.

**Disclaimer **I don't own any of the characters from _High School Musical_ or Dr. Seuss' quote, which is one of my favorite quotes.

* * *

**Just A Nightmare**

A dream can be a goal that you want to reach in your life. Another kind of dream is defined as mental images and emotions that occur during sleep. Sometimes, people forget that they are occuring while they're sleeping. They have to ability to feel so real. Maybe a dream is everything you want in life or maybe it's the opposite.

"_You know you're in love when you can't fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams_."

* * *

"_I'm just tired," Troy groaned as he sat down on a stool in his living room, Gabriella following behind him. _

_She worked her fingers with great expertise, massaging away the sore muscles on his back and shoulders. "Too tired for me?" Gabriella asked him, her eyes brows raising suggestively. His hand reached for hers, causing her actions to cease immediately. _

"_What?" He asked in disbelief._

_This was not the same timid Gabriella that he knew. _

"_I said, are you too tired for me?" She asked seductively, bringing herself around and situating herself on his lap. Why was she in his living room wearing her bikini anyway? He didn't complain though as his hands clasped onto her hips, effectively holding her closer to him._

"_Never."_

"_Good," Gabriella mumbled against his neck, nipping at the sensitive tendons. He shifted, suddenly uncomfortable as his erection pressed against his fastened jeans that were beginning to feel unbearably tight. _

_He wanted to take her right then and there. _

_Troy slowly and deliberately brushed his hand up her thigh, getting closer to his main destination with each tantalizing stroke. _

"_Troy…"_

"_Brie," He responded, his blue eyes holding so much passion that they shined as they connected with hers. _

"Troy."

"_Gabi…" Troy reached for her, needing to feel her lips moving with his. _

"Troy!"

Instead all that he felt was the slap of a pillow over his head, jolting the dreaming boy awake.

Troy blinked several times, feeling disoriented and confused. A dream?

Sure, he had already had dreams where Gabriella was present but this one had seemed so real. The look in her eyes made him feel like it was complete reality. But the smirk on his best friend's face told him otherwise.

"Sleep well?" Chad asked with a chuckle.

"Get out."

"Brieee, oh Brie," He taunted Troy who was covering his face with a pillow.

"Seriously, get out. What are you doing here?" He asked, still not being able to believe how Chad had the worst timing.

"It's Saturday." Chad stated but nothing registered in Troy's mind yet. "_Saturday_. It's the day Sharpay declared as beach day. Shar and Gabi are waiting for us right now."

"Shit," Troy groaned. He had forgotten. Suddenly he recalled Gabriella telling him the night before when they were at the diner, about hanging out at the beach today. But of course he had forgotten. She had that effect on him. Whenever she was around he could only focus on just her. "You should just go, I'll meet you there."

"Why?" Chad asked Troy who was still laying uncomfortably in his bed.

"I need a shower."

* * *

He felt a twisting in his gut, but he knew that it wasn't right that he was mad at her for it. After all, it wasn't like she was his. Not yet, at least.

Troy didn't know why he hadn't mustered up enough confidence to ask her to be his girlfriend. He'd already sang to her in front of a large portion of his school's student body. But he wanted her to be his, why was it so difficult?

He couldn't help but feel pangs of jealousy while watching Gabriella laugh at something Caleb Michaels was talking to her about. Hadn't she been warned about Caleb? Maybe she was beginning to feel differently.

Troy lost control of his wandering mind. The way the wind was picking up her hair as she stood near the crashing waves, the water pooling at her feet, made her look so incredibly beautiful to him. He wondered if Caleb thought so, too.

What was Troy doing, just standing there and watching them? It was easily making him feel nauseous.

It was his choice, though. Troy had chosen to meet up with Chad, Gabriella, and Sharpay at the beach instead of going with Chad. Maybe if he had gone with Chad it would be him standing beside Gabriella. Troy shook his head briskly.

Why was he allowing himself to think this way?

Gabriella couldn't possibly feel anything for _Caleb Michaels_. Even though Caleb had accused Troy once or twice for being a player, Troy knew that was only because Caleb was a well known player trying to protect his reputation. He couldn't watch this. Troy couldn't watch her talking to him.

He diverted his eyes quickly, managing to find the pink beach blanket that Sharpay had laid down on the sand. How could he had missed the embroidered 'SE' that was stitched in the corner? He'd been to busy with his attention else where…

"Troy? You okay?" Chad questioned, watching Troy who had sat himself down on the blanket, but looked zoned out. "Haven't recovered from your dream?" He asked with a laugh.

"Where's Shar and Brie?" Troy asked, pretending to be oblivious.

Chad rolled his eyes, turning to try to seek them out. "Shar's hat flew away and of course Michaels had to swoop in to save the day…"

"So that's why Gabriella's with him," He mumbled to himself for reassurance.

"That just rhymed…"

"I'm going to go find them," Troy told Chad who was currently off in his own world.

"I'm a poet and I didn't even know it. Moe, Flow, Dough, I'm at the _SHO_re…"

* * *

Gabriella sighed.

She was never good at ending a conversation. So desperately she wanted to just snatch the pink sunhat from Caleb's hands that have probably been places that she'd _never_ want to know about. She needed Sharpay to be the one doing this. After all, it was her hat.

"So, I never got my dance…" Caleb told Gabriella almost as if he were suggesting something more than just a dance. The smug look on his face was enough to make Gabriella's stomach turn. She wanted to find Troy. He was all she could think about lately.

"And you're not going to," Sharpay cut in, grabbing her hat from his grasp. Gabriella was amazed at how Sharpay always had the most impeccable timing. She'd always be able to save her from Caleb since the first day they had encountered. "Thanks," She said apprehensively to Caleb but Gabriella could tell it took a lot out of her to say it.

"Brie!" She could hear Troy call to her in the distance, gradually coming closer to them. He waved almost shyly, making Gabriella sense that something was wrong.

She'd always been one to worry. What if something was terribly, horribly wrong?

"It's your man candy," Sharpay jabbed Gabriella's side with her elbow. The sharp jab caused Gabriella hand to move to the point of impact, hissing with slight pain. Troy was right when he said that Sharpay could hit.

With slight anger in her chocolate eyes, Gabriella glared at Sharpay. "I thought he was my boy to- Troy," Gabriella finished when she saw how close he was and that he was looking at her skeptically.

"Can we talk?" Troy asked. "Alone?"

Sharpay made no move to leave, instead she remained stationary in her spot, not wanting to miss whatever was about to go down.

"You know just to two of us," He stressed with an annoyed sigh, knowing how Sharpay loved to be in other people's business.

"I can take a hint," Sharpay said, blowing her blond fringe from her eyes.

"Okay, then take it and go," Troy told her, sounding a lot ruder than he had intended to.

Sharpay huffed, turning to seek out Chad.

"What's wrong with you?" Gabriella asked with confusion, unable to read his emotions.

"We need to talk."

Those were the four most dreaded words that a boy could say to any girl. Gabriella knew that she and Troy weren't together. They were just a big question mark. But still, the way he had said those words with so much emotion was enough to chill her bones.

Troy wasted no time by taking one of her hands in his and walking along the waves. The action slowly started to calm Gabriella but she was still filled with worry and doubt. He cleared his throat several times, not being able to figure out how he should say what he so badly wanted to say.

"Hey," Gabriella placed her hand on one of his arms in a soothing way. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong," He told her honestly. "I just need to ask you something," Troy stopped walking. This was the moment of truth. To him, it was like ripping of a band aid. The quicker it was done, the easier it would be.

"What do you need to ask me?" Gabriella swallowed, wondering if her fear was evident in her eyes. She wasn't sure if she'd done something wrong. Maybe Troy didn't like her anymore. Maybe he never had. She was just counting down the seconds until Ashton Kutcher arrived with his camera crew, rubbing it in her face that she had just been ultimately _Punk'd_.

But nothing happened. All she could see were his drowning blue eyes.

"I wanted to know… well, actually I was wondering," He swallowed the lump that had lodged itself in the back of his throat. Troy couldn't fight the nerves that were racking through him, disabling him to speak.

"Troy," Gabriella said with a small, encouraging smile. "You can tell me anything," She urged him to continue, her eyes holding something that Troy recognized as understandment.

And that was all he needed. Suddenly pushed with a new sense of confidence, Troy opened his mouth to speak once more and finish what he had started.

"Troy!" A loud screech made him tense up. It was like the wind had been knocked right out of him. His friends officially had the worst timing.

"What?!" Troy tried not to sound as annoyed as he was. Instantly dropping Gabriella's hands, he turned to face Sharpay.

"Nothing," Sharpay said with a shrug. "Chad thinks he can rap and it's making me crazy."

"Shar! Don't be hating because you aint me. You love me, stop trying to shove me…" Chad stopped, not being able to come up with anything else that rhymed. "..away?"

Troy and Sharpay groaned simultaneously while Gabriella bit her lower lip to prevent laughter from escaping. She was secretly appreciative of Sharpay that she had saved her and Troy from whatever awkward moment was about to occur. She feared for what Troy was going to ask her.

If only she knew.

Chad stood alone, looking stunned, mostly because he couldn't believe that no one thought he had a future as a rapper. Gabriella laughed, shaking her head, "Don't quit your day job."

* * *

Later that day, Gabriella, Troy and Chad were surprised that Haley hadn't even stopped by the diner before they closed. It was abnormal for her to do so, Chad had told Gabriella and Troy.

After a day on the beach and just hanging out, Troy hadn't accomplished what he had wanted to with Gabriella. He blamed his friends who had bad timing. Truly, deep down, he knew that it was himself since he was such a head case today. He had no idea where all these nerves were coming from.

The three teenagers cleaned and closed the diner hastily, all exhausted from spending the day on the beach. When they were finished they parted their ways, Chad heading in one direction while Troy and Gabriella left together, Troy insisting that he walk her home. It had become something that Gabriella knew wouldn't change. If Troy said he was walking her home, he was walking her home. He wouldn't allow any argument there.

"Gabi," Troy asked, catching her off guard as she fumbled with the keys to her house as the two stood on her porch. He called her Gabi rarely, she was more used to being called Brie. She didn't know if him calling her 'Gabi' was a good thing or a bad thing. "Can I talk to you now?"

He wanted to ask her tonight. He'd decided on that the moment they had left the diner. Nothing was going to stop him.

"Yeah, of course," Gabriella said, finally getting the key to open the door. It was simple things like that about the new house that she wasn't completely used to. "We can talk inside for a little," She told him, knowing of the late time.

When they walked into the door both teenagers stopped dead in their tracks. Troy suddenly felt extremely uncomfortable while Gabriella just stood in shock, unable to tear her eyes away from her father and Haley who were asleep on the couch, a blanket covering their unclothed bodies. She couldn't breathe, couldn't think.

Her cheeks burned with embarrassment as Troy looked at his best friend's mother. Her boss was lying naked next to her father.

Well this was very unprofessional.

Gabriella closed her eyes tightly, wishing it were something as simple as a dream. When she reopened them, she watched as Daniel began to stir, blinking his eyes awake.

The moment Troy had left the diner, he had decided that he would ask her tonight. Nothing was going to stop him. Nothing _except _this.


	13. I've Got the Sickness

I loved the reviews, they made me laugh.

When I think about it... it makes me wonder about my parents

And ew, I'm just going to stop right there.

I like to believe that old people don't do that. **:'D**

**_My response to ZacheartVanessa- _**Yes I did see the new Zanessa pictures of them on the beach. I must say, though I am extremely jealous of Vanessa Hudgens, they're the cutest couple ever. The pictures were adorable.

**Disclaimer** I don't own any thing from _High School Musical_ , I also do not own the quote from _One Tree Hill_

* * *

**I've Got the Sickness, You've Got the Cure**

_'Albert Camus once wrote, "Blessed are the hearts that can bend. They shall never be broken." But I wonder... If there's no breaking, then there's no healing. And if there's no healing, then there is no learning. And if there's no learning, then there's no struggle. But the struggle is a part of life, So must all hearts be broken?'_

* * *

Bile.

She could feel it. Gabriella could feel herself growing sick.

She felt like gagging.

Gabriella hadn't expected to come home to find _this_. The image would forever burn it's memory in her mind.

"Gabriella?" Daniel yelped with awareness, holding the blanket tight to his and Haley's body, shielding them from view. The sudden movement caused Haley to wake slowly, her brown eyes blinking, taking in her surroundings when she noticed Gabriella staring wide-eyed at the pair. Troy held his gaze elsewhere, finding it so incredibly weird that he had seen his best friend's_ mother_ like this.

"What?" Gabriella spat out, hurt laced in her tone. "Just friends, huh?" She asked venomously. Daniel had lied to her. He said he was taking things slow and that they would both talk about Haley and his relationship with her as a family before it advanced further than a friendship. Her father rarely ever lied to her. It was like it was becoming a new habit.

She did not expect or ever want to see this side of her father. She liked to pretend that he never did the dirty deed.

_Oh how she was wrong._

She was ashamed that Troy had to see this before he had even been properly introduced to her father.

What an introduction was taking place.

Gabriella couldn't remember another time where she had been more embarrassed in her entire life.

Haley was mortified. She couldn't move. All she could do was watch the scene unravel. That was Troy's only choice, too. He wouldn't leave Gabriella's side.

Daniel reached for his shorts that had been discarded on the floor while keeping the blanket securely covering himself. Maneuvering the shorts back on under the blanket, he stood up, trying to think of the right words to explain this to his daughter.

"I couldn't," Daniel told her. It was all he could think of.

"You couldn't what?" Gabriella asked him bitterly.

"I couldn't tell you."

"And why not?"

"You weren't ready," Daniel stated, stealing a quick glance at Haley.

"I wasn't ready or _you_ weren't ready?" Gabriella reciprocated, turning towards the staircase while grabbing Troy's hand.

Daniel finally noticed the boy's presence in the room. Troy looked very uncomfortable having witnessed everything. "What are you doing?"

"I'm leaving," Gabriella told him matter-of-factly.

His eyes widened as Gabriella made her way up the stairs and into her bedroom, quickly grabbing one of her bags and stuffing a clean outfit into it. Troy asked no questions, just followed. He barely had time to look at her room when he felt his hand being tugged again, back down the stairs.

"You're being ridiculous," Daniel sighed. "Where do you think you're going to go?"

Gabriella stopped her rampage. She realized she had no where to go. Sharpay was most likely sleeping and she couldn't call Chad since Haley would probably be returning home and Gabriella wouldn't want to deal with that…

She felt a gentle squeeze on her hand and she looked up to meet Troy's piercing blue eyes. He nodded, as if it were an unspoken agreement.

"I'm going to stay at Troy's."

Daniel could feel his blood boil. Gabriella was _exactly_ like her mother. She could be timid and shy at times while at other times she had a temper that no one could reason with. He knew he was losing this battle.

"No you're not," Daniel stated firmly, holding his ground. She may have been mad at him but that didn't change the fact that she was his daughter.

"I'll call you tomorrow," Gabriella told him, her final decision made as she opened the door and walked out of the house. She wanted to get away from everything, with Troy by her side.

Daniel was about to advance towards the door when he felt a hand on his upper arm, holding him back. "Let her go," Haley told him, speaking up for the first time since Gabriella and Troy had arrived.

"What?" Daniel asked incredulously.

"Troy's a nice boy," Haley told him with the knowledge of knowing Troy Bolton for almost thirteen years since Troy had met Chad in preschool. "Gabriella just needs time. Trust him and Gabriella."

Daniel thought, his mind wandering back to the first time he held his little girl. She had been so tiny, so vulnerable. When he first saw her, he thought she looked identical to Michelle. Everything about her was Michelle. But the doctors and nurses disagreed, saying she looked like her father.

It was the eyes, that was what Daniel had always been told.

He remembered the feeling of contentment that washed through him as her tiny finger curled around his large one. It felt like only yesterday when those beautiful brown eyes opened and looked at him for the first time. That was the moment he felt his life change.

Daniel knew he'd do anything to protect the small life he was cradling in his arms. Gabriella immediately became a huge piece of him.

"I trust her."

* * *

It had been a long walk to Troy's house. That was mostly because of the silence. The silence was almost painful to Troy. He knew he didn't have the right words to say to make this better. He was not the person who could make this better. He wasn't used to being in situations like this.

As Troy and Gabriella walked up his driveway to his house, with their fingers laced together while Troy's other arm held Gabriella's bag, Troy heard Gabriella's breath catch in her throat.

"What's wrong?" Troy asked, the first time anyone had spoken since they'd left Gabriella's house.

"I can't, your parents, my dad's mad, I can't," Gabriella rambled, the feeling of exhaustion taking over the anger she had been dealing with.

"Brie, my parents have been away for three days now," Troy informed her. His parents had went to Hawaii on vacation. Troy of course was included in their plans originally but he told them that he wanted to stay home and work on his basketball. Truthfully, he didn't feel like leaving his friends for a week and a half.

"But I can't," She yawned. Her yawn quickly turned into a gasp when she felt Troy lift her up, carrying her bridal style through his house and up the stairs until they reached his room.

Troy smiled at her weary expression, thinking that she didn't have enough energy to protest. "You've had a long day, just sleep," He put her down gently on top of his bed. She jumped up in a bolt when she noticed her surroundings.

She was in his room. _Troy Bolton's_ room. On his bed.

This day was unbelievable.

Troy didn't notice Gabriella's shocked expression since he was much to busy getting changed.

Wait, what?!

She couldn't look away from him. She thought that possibly he was doing this on purpose. It was like he was fishing and Gabriella was the impossible catch. The bait was just dangling in front of her eyes…

No, she wouldn't allow herself to think like that. Not now. He was only taking his shirt off.

"Do you need something?" Troy asked her, sitting on the edge of his bed.

"Huh?" Gabriella's throat had gone dry.

He stood up once again, rummaging through his drawers until he pulled out a clean pair of basketball shorts and one of his t-shirts. "You're not comfortable sleeping in that, right?" He gestured towards the clothes that she had changed into after hanging out at the beach so that she could get to work at the diner.

Gabriella was trying to think straight about the outcome of the night. Though she was angry at her father, her mind was almost thanking him. When she had woken up that morning she hadn't imagined that she'd be settling into Troy Bolton's bed wearing his clothes that very night.

She shook her head tiredly and Troy dropped the clothes beside her on his bed.

"Brie…" Troy said slowly, running his hand up and down her arm, making her drift off even more than she was before. "You're going to have to get up to get changed," He told her, pointing out the obvious with a wry grin.

Much to her displeasure, she hoisted herself from the bed that was probably one of the most comfortable beds she'd ever been on. She cleared her throat with a loud 'Ahem.'

"What?" Troy asked, noting the look in Gabriella's eyes.

"You should um," She sighed.

"Oh I get it," Troy said, feigning disappointment. "You're kicking me out of my own room."

"Mm, exactly," Gabriella announced, hiding her insecurity with humor.

The t-shirt was large on her, reaching down past mid-thigh. She couldn't get the shorts to stay up though, which she knew could be a problem. She folded the shorts and placed them back in the drawer that she had seen Troy take them from, allowing him to reenter his room. "I'll sleep on the floor," Gabriella told him while stealing one of his pillows, the one she thought was the most comfortable.

"What?" Troy asked as if Gabriella had just said something like 'I'll go jump of a building.'

"You're a guest," He laughed, picturing in his mind exactly how his mother would react. "Guests don't sleep on my nasty floor."

"So you admit, it's nasty?" Gabriella laughed slightly, the first time Troy had heard her laugh all night. "I don't want to impose. I'll sleep on the couch for all I care."

"Who said anything about imposing?"

She rolled her eyes. "I'd be stealing your bed."

Troy held up his hand, his way to silence her. "How about we compromise? Is sharing something you can't cope with…"

Warning signals were flashing in her mind. Nothing was going to happen, that she knew. She was nervous though. She was nervous about something that wasn't quite that big a deal. Gabriella didn't want Troy to know of her nervousness.

"I'm sure I can cope," She hid her true emotions.

He jumped on the bed, making the mattress shift as he patted the space he made next to him.

Nothing was going to happen between them tonight, Gabriella knew that. Besides, she trusted him. In her mind, she could picture Sharpay's knowing smile and she could practically hear her voice echoing off the walls saying, 'You know you want to.'

Uneasily, Gabriella lowered herself on to Troy's bed, allowing him to pull the comforter over the both of them. When she felt settled in, she began drifting off, but she was quickly jarred awake when Troy shifted his weight, propping himself up on one elbow. He studied Gabriella as she faced away from him, staring out into space, looking completely lost.

She was lost. Gabriella couldn't help but think that she was slowly losing one of her closest friends…her father.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Troy asked, finally bringing up what had happened tonight, what Gabriella was so desperately trying to pretend hadn't happened.

"Talk about what?"

She thought the best way to forget was to act as though nothing happened. That way it'd be easier, at least that's what she thought.

"You know, Brie," Troy murmured, slipping an arm around her waist for reassurance. All he wanted to do was let her know that he was there for her.

"Let's forget about it for now," Gabriella pleaded, snuggling into him as he pulled her closer to the warmth of his body. He was making her feel better without knowing. "How about you sing me to sleep?" She joked with a small smile.

"Hmm…" Troy pretended to think about it, tapping his chin playfully as Gabriella turned to face him. "No can do, Montez," Troy answered with a shrug.

"I've heard you sing before, it's the same thing," She urged, nestling her head deeper into his pillow.

"I'm not into the whole lullaby thing," Troy said with a smirk which quickly faded when he noticed the hurt expression on her tired face.

She turned away, taking in the look of his room for the first time since she'd been in there. At first sight, it may have looked like the a typical boy's room. The walls were a dark shade of blue, one that Gabriella thought contrasted with his eyes. The hard wood floor was slightly messy, but she wouldn't have expected anything less. There were a few clothing items scattered here and there, along with a basketball smuggled in one of the corners of the room. The closet door had a mini basketball net nailed down to it, rolled up socks laying underneath on the floor, indicating to Gabriella that he played basketball with socks in his room. The thought made her smile.

In another corner of the room, his guitar lay. She thought about how much his room defined him. Just like his room which was divided between his music and basketball, Troy's personality was separated. Around his guitar, pieces or paper littered the floor. Some were crumbled and tossed aside, forgotten. In the darkness of the room, she couldn't read what the still-intact papers said.

Gabriella allowed her eyes to venture further, lingering on his walls where pictures hung. Most of them were from basketball. She looked intently at the picture frame that sat on his nightstand, just beside the bed. With the eerie light from the moon, she could see the picture of what looked like a basketball team. Chad and Troy stood out to her the most, since they were the only ones that she could recognize. But she did notice a man in the picture or stood beside the basketball team. Immediately she put the pieces together figuring that he was the coach. When she looked more closely, she knew that the coach had to be Troy's father. He had the same brilliant Bolton blue eyes. She couldn't miss them anywhere.

She closed her eyes slowly, feeling the weight of her exhaustion pressing down on them. Troy's almost steady breathing let her know that he was close to sleep as well.

Gabriella hadn't noticed Troy deeply studying her, wanting to know everything that was on her mind. Instead, he watched her eyes flutter closed as she fell asleep.

Troy leaned over, careful not to wake her from her slumber. Gently, he placed a kiss on her cheek, letting his lips linger, whispering, "Goodnight Brie."


	14. It It

Bon jour **:)**

I'm totally loving the reviews. They make me smile.

So I was sitting and well I practically figured out the whole direction that this story is going.

I hope you like it because I liked it but then again, I'm writing it so my opinion doesn't count.

ALSO, I've posted a prologue for my new story **Redemption**, leave reviews please!

I'm so excited about writing it.

Anyways, here's another chapter.

**Disclaimer** I'm not awesome. Yeah right. **;)**

I'm kidding, I don't own High School Musical Characters.

* * *

**It It**

When life gets tough, you should know that you should be having fun. Whether it's doing something completely crazy or insane, as long as it's fun it should be fine with you. But if pancake mix is involved...well, you know that it's going to be a whole lot greater.

* * *

Troy opened his eyes laggardly, smiling slightly when his eyes caught sight of the girl who had his arms wrapped around her. His arm fit snugly around her waist, holding her close as his other arm served as a pillow where her head rested on his bicep. Gabriella slept sounding, not even stirring as Troy slowly withdrew his arms, careful not to wake her up.

He paced the floor of his room, racking his mind for a simple explanation for what he was thinking.

_Nothing_.

Nothing came to mind as he lifted his guitar of the bedroom floor, trying to remember the song he had started the night at the diner before Gabriella had arrived.

The strumming started lightly as Troy tried to recapture the song he had started without Gabriella hearing. When she rolled over Troy stopped playing, placing his guitar back in the corner of his room. He sat on the edge of his bed, watching as her chest rose and fell with every breath she took.

His own breathing became unsteady when his eyes scanned over her body, seeing that the shirt he had leant her had hitched up past her stomach, revealing that she hadn't been wearing his shorts underneath.

"Don't look," Troy warned himself, his hands reaching for the blanket, pulling it to Gabriella's chin to stop his wandering eyes.

"Troy?" Gabriella yawned, her arms stretching over her head and plopping back down to rest on Troy's pillow.

"Baby, go back to sleep," Troy whispered, brushing away the soft curls that had fell in front of her eyes.

She yawned once more, half asleep. "Time?"

"It's early."

Gabriella moved her hand on Troy's arm, letting it sit there. "What time is early?"

"Eight."

She laughed lightly, rubbing her eyes to help wake herself up. "That's not early."

Troy smiled and held one of her small hands between his two strong ones. "It is for me," Troy said, laying down on he bed beside her, pulling her on top of his bare chest. Gabriella sighed in contentment, snuggling deeper into his embrace. She found herself thinking that she could spend the rest of her life in that position and wouldn't mind it at all.

"We can't lay here all day," Gabriella pointed out much to her own disliking.

All she could think about was what would happen when she returned home again. She didn't know what she'd say to her father when she faced him. Gabriella wondered if Chad had known what was going on, if Haley had been considerate enough to share the truth with him, unlike her own father.

She was hurt, she wouldn't deny that. But the hurt was masked by a stronger feeling of disgust. Gabriella didn't mind that Daniel and Haley had advanced their relationship, she just wished she'd _never_ have to see it.

Troy groaned, running his hand up and down her back in a way Gabriella found soothing. She could fall back asleep in mere seconds. "And why not?"

"Hmm, let me think," Gabriella traced an imaginary pattern on Troy's arm. "We need to live?" She laughed as Troy rolled his eyes as if what she had suggested was absurd.

"If you insist," Troy smiled, kissing Gabriella's forehead, and she blushed instantly.

They were practically a couple already, Troy had figured. He hoped it would be easy to ask Gabriella to be his. The moment they were sharing now was just not the right time. Now he was only concerned with waiting until Gabriella's problem with her father settled and died down.

Little did he know, he'd stolen her heart.

Troy was anxious to see Chad's reaction to the whole incident.

Chad cringed whenever Haley reminded him that she wasn't _that_ old. Now Troy was wondering how Chad would react knowing that his very own mother engaged in some of the same activities as himself…

Troy stopped his mind, grossed out.

"So, Sharpay was telling me…"

Troy sighed, "This can't be good."

Gabriella rolled her eyes playfully. "Anyway, she was telling me about how amazing your pancakes were…"

* * *

Gabriella itched her forehead with the back of her wrist, avoiding touching her face with her pancake batter coated fingers. Pancake mix covered the kitchen counters and both Gabriella and Troy's clothes. Some even was stuck in strands of their hair, causing them to laugh whenever they caught a glimpse of each other.

"I surrender," Troy said dramatically, holding up both of his hands.

She studied him with quick glances, hoping he wouldn't see her, watching for his next move, waiting for him come out fighting again unless he'd really ceased fire. "You've surrendered almost twenty times already. I think I know your strategy, Bolton."

She laughed as she pressed herself against the dining room wall, just outside the kitchen, keeping herself out of sight. She was like James Bond in _Mission Impossible_. The only thing missing was the theme song.

Just as Sharpay had said, Troy's pancakes were incredible. Now, after they'd both finished eating, Troy and Gabriella were cleaning up the dishes when Troy 'accidentally' flicked some of the leftover pancake batter in Gabriella's face.

It had started to ultimate war.

"I surrender!" Troy shouted, repeating himself, a mischievous smile on his face that Gabriella could not see.

"Fine," Gabriella said slowly and uneasily, stepping out of the shadows. "Troy?" She said faintly, becoming a little afraid since she couldn't anticipate what Troy would do next. As she stepped into the kitchen it was like he'd completely vanished, no where to be seen.

Troy held his breath from where he stood, hidden by the refrigerator. He was waiting for the perfect moment until she walked by so he could jump and attack. He bit his bottom lip when the footsteps he heard were approaching where he was. He was holding the mixing bowl and all of its contents, waiting for the perfect sneak attack.

He was going to bombard her, this Gabriella was aware of. She had heard the shuffling feet behind the refrigerator. She wondered how gullible Troy thought she was. She was weaponless though, with nothing to defend her against the flying batter.

Gabriella's eyes lingered around the kitchen, looking for some kind of protection, but there was nothing. She was doomed.

"Do you swear that you surrender?"

Troy made no sound. He knew that she was close, too close. If he answered, she'd know where he was.

As if she didn't know already.

He scooped up some of the sloppy mixture in his hands, fully prepared for battle.

"Troy!" Gabriella shouted, jumping out into clear view after passing the refrigerator, preparing herself for what was coming. Troy couldn't even let himself throw the batter like he'd initially planned. Instead he burst out into a fit of laughter when he saw Gabriella, her brown curls sticking together with the pancake batter that was also smeared all over her body looking like war paint. "You liar!" She exclaimed while looking at his dripping fingers, proving him guilty, but he still made no move.

"Montez, that look is really working for you," Troy told her, his eyes tempting her to move forward, the pancake batter in his hands convincing her otherwise.

"You said that you surrendered!"

"I lied," He laughed once more at the shocked expression on her face.

"Well then, I'm tossing my flag in," Gabriella stated, holding up both her hands now, surrendering just as he had many times.

He wiggled his fingers despite the fact she had surrendered, laughing as she backed up. "You're being unfair," she whined, backing away.

"I don't care," Troy said in a whisper, cupping her face in both of his hands, not even thinking about the pancake batter as he crashed his lips down to hers, causing her to gasp unexpectedly. Her fingers dug into his light brown hair, kissing him back urgently, stunned by the sudden contact. Troy relished in her kisses, slinging an arm around her waist, nipping at her bottom lip.

She gave him what he wanted, parting her mouth to allow him entrance. Gabriella moaned, loving everything about the new feelings that were being evoked as their tongues danced together. She melted against him, her knees going weak as she leaned against Troy who had backed up into the refrigerator. His back slid downwards on the smooth surface, causing the two to split apart as Troy slipped to the floor.

Gabriella's laughter filled the room as Troy's face flushed with embarrassment. He had not seen that coming. Nothing ever went the way he planned.

Thinking on his toes, Troy pulled her down on top of him, Gabriella landing on his lap as she yelped out loud in surprise. He barely gave her a chance to come to her senses as he pressed his lips back on to hers, prying them open with his hungry tongue. Their tongues dueled together, fighting for dominance but Gabriella felt herself losing control.

Warning signals were going off in her mind when she felt Troy's hands skim over the bottom of the shirt he'd leant her, trailing his hands up her stomach, rubbing his thumb along her side.

She was nervous. She didn't want him to stop though.

His hands crept higher up her side, reaching her rib cage when their kiss broke apart, both in need of air. His eyes met hers, searching for what she was thinking but he found nothing. He brought one of his hands up to rest on her cheek, his other brushing up her side with his fingertips.

"Brie, I-"

The door bell sounded loud and obnoxiously, Troy's eyes flaring with anger for a second. He was starting to wonder if he'd always get interrupted when he wanted to ask her. It was becoming annoying. He groaned, slipping his hand out from underneath her shirt, pulling himself and Gabriella up to their feet.

"Were you expecting someone?" Gabriella asked, frazzled at the quick mood change and at the sudden banging on the door. It sounded like someone was pounding with their fist.

"Does it look like I was expecting someone?" Troy answered sharply, gesturing to his kitchen which looked like a disaster, just as they both looked.

He was suddenly angry, Gabriella was aware of this. She didn't understand why, though. A small part of her mind thought he might be slightly bipolar. She rolled her eyes. "Well I'm going to get changed," Gabriella told him, her tone of voice sounding as though she were annoyed because she was.

Maybe Troy didn't want anything deeper with her besides a summer fling. From what it seemed, he only was interested in the perks of a relationship instead of the actual relationship itself. He was a typical boy, Gabriella thought bitterly as she trudged up the steps back to his room. He was willing to do anything to get with her, not be with her. She sighed, turning the doorknob. Was the song he had written only to convince her that his feelings were sincere?

She didn't want to think about it anymore.

All she knew was that she was going to stay away from him until she was certain of what he wanted. And if he wanted was just a fling, she'd have to let him go.

Gabriella felt something much deeper than that for Troy. She had from the moment she saw him.

Now as she thought back to that night, she remembered what Sharpay had said to Troy.

"_Don't even think about it_."

She remembered what Caleb Michaels had said on the beach, too.

"_So you're another one of Bolton's bitches_?"

Gabriella sighed, pulling out the spare outfit she'd packed the night before.

Maybe she should've taken what others had said about Troy as warnings. Maybe she was being played. The new rush of emotions were confusing her.

She didn't want to let him go, though. She wanted to believe that he felt the same way that she did about him.

She didn't want to think that she'd wake up from it all, that it was all just a dream.

* * *

"Chad, what the hell are you doing here?" Troy asked after opening the door to find a worried Chad who was looking past him, his eyes darting left and right.

"Dude, what the hell are _you _doing?" Chad laughed, taking in Troy's appearance, noticing the pancake batter. Chad walked by him into the Bolton house. "Where is she?"

"She?"

"I know she's here," Chad said, lifting up one of the pillows from the couch, as if she could've been hiding behind it.

Troy chuckled lightly. "What's going on?"

"I heard about _it_," Chad said, drawing out a shaky breath.

"It?"

"You know, like _it_ it," Chad winced. "My mom didn't go into details she just told me about how you and Gabi walked in on them."

Troy remembered last night but he wanted to forget about that part. It had been awkward for him but more than twice as awkward for Gabriella. The look on her face when she found her father and Haley was enough to make him never want to make Gabriella angry or upset. "We didn't really walk in on them exactly."

"Whatever, man. You walked in on the 'post-sex', big difference," Chad said using air quotes. "Gabi's probably confused about it, I wanted to talk to her. I know she's here so don't lie," Chad warned, becoming serious which was very rare for him.

As if on cue, Gabriella came back down the stairs, partially cleaned up after the pancake incident. Her hair was pulled back in a bun, hidden beneath one of Troy's baseballs caps that she'd burrowed. Over her shoulder, her bag that she'd packed the night before was slung. She stopped at the bottom of the steps when she felt two pairs of eyes on her.

"What's going on? I was just about to head home…"

"You were?" Troy asked disappointedly, ignoring Gabriella's question, becoming confused when he saw the look of skepticism on her face. She looked almost mad at him. But that couldn't be possible, Troy thought. He hadn't done anything wrong.

She nodded. "Thanks for letting me stay last night."

Chad's eyes widened but he shook the thought from his head.

"Can I give you a ride home?" He offered even though he knew that if she refused he'd convince her anyway.

"I could give her a ride," Troy stated but Chad shook his head.

"I want to talk to her about_ it_."

"About 'it' it?" Troy asked.

"Yes, that it."

Gabriella was trying to follow their conversation but she was finding it extremely difficult. "What's it?"

Chad rolled his eyes as if it were obvious. "You know, _it_ it."


	15. Where I Stand

This chapter is semi-serious.

I wanted it to be serious but it's a conversation between Gabriella and Chad...

How serious can it be?

I liked this chapter though.

I hope all of you are reading my other story too, **Redemption :)**

Sorry if there's a few typos in this.

**Disclaimer** I don't own anything from High School Musical

* * *

**Where I Stand**

Sometimes the past can be filled with many painful memories, memories that you may just want to forget. But at the end of the day, you need to remember to think about what makes you the person that you are. And sometimes, that means thinking about those painful memories because without them, you wouldn't be the person you are today, and you wouldn't be where you are standing.

* * *

"I think we need to talk," Chad broke the silence in his car after he'd pulled up at her house and she made no move to exit. Chad insisted that they had some things to discuss.

Gabriella knew exactly what he wanted to talk about, she just didn't think that she was ready to talk about it. She wasn't even ready to admit that what she saw was real. See could just picture the way it would be the next time she saw her father…

Awkward.

How could she be able to look at him the same way after she'd seen him after he'd been intimate with one of his good friend's mother? Everything was so messed up and she wasn't thinking clearly.

She was trying to tell herself that maybe it wasn't all that bad. Daniel had known Haley longer than Gabriella had known Chad, which was longer than they had lived in Florida.

Daniel had known Haley his entire life.

She just didn't understand why he wasn't honest with her. She could've handled the truth before she had to see it.

Gabriella felt herself swallow, not sure what to do or say. What else could she do? Would she burst out randomly, saying, 'Yes, our parent's are fooling around' ?

No, that'd be much too weird.

She fidgeted with her hands in her lap, clearly uncomfortable.

"So," Chad said slowly, not sure how to approach the topic. "I don't know how to say this, Gab. I'm just going to come out and say it."

"Please, don't, it's already weird enough as it is," Gabriella sighed.

"Hey, maybe your eyes were playing tricks on you."

"Chad, I know what I saw."

Chad ran a hand through his large afro, trying to gather rational thoughts. He barely ever had rational thoughts. "When two people really like each other-"

"Whoa Chad, stop. This isn't the birds and the bees talk," She exclaimed, throwing her hands up dramatically for effect.

Chad opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out. "What does this mean?"

"Honestly…"

She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, a nervous habit which she'd developed when she was just a young girl.

"I can't tell you what it means because I only found out about _it_ yesterday_."_

"I had no idea that my mom even talked to any guys," Chad told her, causing her to let out a small laugh, making the conversation lighter and easier for the both of them.

It was an honest statement. Chad loved thinking that his mother had no life besides working at the diner. It made it easier for him to get through the day. He didn't want to have any knowledge of what she did after hours.

Haley had come home late the night before to find Chad bumming around on the couch, stuffing his face with chips and watching reruns of _A Shot at Love_. He immediately lowered the volume of the television when he saw the look of guilt on her face.

Usually, they'd exchange a few words before Haley retreated to her bedroom to sleep, but Chad knew she had something to say from the moment she walked in the door.

Then, as painful as it was for Chad to hear, Haley sat down and told him the whole truth. She did leave out some details about how she'd met Daniel Montez, and that was what Chad wanted to find out from Gabriella, who seemed like she knew the truth.

Chad eyed his new friend who looked almost scared. She'd always been easy to talk to, that was probably why she'd been accepted into their group of friends so quickly. That and the fact that his best friend had fallen head over heels for her. Chad felt distant when it came to Gabriella. She'd easily connected with his girlfriend, Sharpay because well, he figured that Sharpay was so used to hanging out with guys and Gabriella was some sort of relief from that. Gabriella was closest to Troy though, then came Sharpay, but never had he once actually had a normal, serious conversation with her.

Chad wanted that to take place now, he wanted to get to know her.

Gabriella stole a glance of her driveway, noting that her father's car was not there. He must be at work, she figured when an idea came to mind. She was thinking that she wanted to get to know Chad, too. After all, he was the best friend of the boy she'd fallen for and the boyfriend of her new best friend. "How about I drop my stuff of here and get changed. After, you and I could hang out for a little bit?"

Chad nodded, "I'd like that."

* * *

"I've always liked having ice cream in the morning, I think it's a nice way to wake up," Chad commented, licking at his chocolate ice cream sloppily. He and Gabriella were walking on the beach and since it was still early, it wasn't too crowded. The more he spent time with her, the easier it became to talk to her. So far, they were avoiding the subject of the relationship of their parents.

"My mom always used to say how bad it was…" Gabriella said slowly, reliving the memories of her childhood in her mind. Her mother would scold her whenever she found a bowl of ice cream in front of her early in the morning, telling her how horrible it was for her health.

As if a six-year-old understood that.

The moment Michelle left the kitchen area, Daniel would peak from behind the corner, wondering if his wife had noticed that it was him who was feeding their daughter ice cream in the early hours of the day. Daniel always believed that ice cream was great for your health, any hour of the day.

He never had the best eating habits.

Gabriella shook her head, laughing at the memory. It all seemed so long ago, as if it were a different life. She'd grown so accustomed to living with only her father.

"Your mom…? Did she, I mean," Chad stumbled trying to think of how to ask this question.

She understood what he was getting at, though.

"She left when I was twelve. We haven't heard from her or seen her since," She told him, trying not to sound bitter. If she was always angry at her dad for never letting go of her mother, she had to let her go too and not be hypocritical.

"I'm sorr-"

"It's fine, really," Gabriella cut him off, not wanting to hear the end of it. "I believe that everything happens for a reason. Whether the reason is important or something so minor, it still accounts for something. If my mom hadn't left…" She trailed off, her eyes coming in contact with two seagulls floating in the ocean, side by side. The sight almost made her laugh out loud, remembering her conversation with Troy. "If she hadn't left, I probably wouldn't be where I am now."

The thought disturbed her. She loved Florida, now. It was her new home.

Gabriella loved her new friends, the definition of true friends that she didn't even know existed until she met Sharpay, who had stood up for her before she even knew her name.

She loved her new house that she shared only with her father, the setting inside was usually a tranquil environment to live in. Her new job at the diner, working with Troy and Chad, was another thing that she loved about her life.

"I kind of love where I am now," Gabriella said, feeling a smile form on her face.

Chad kicked at some of the sand. "It's okay I guess, I just hate when you get all wet and the sand sticks to your-"

"No, I wasn't talking about the beach," She laughed. "I meant where I am in life."

"I knew that," Chad said, hiding his embarrassment with a cheeky grin. "Was it weird for you? Having your mom leave and everything…"

He couldn't even imagine life without his mother but he figured that was only because she'd always been there.

"Weird isn't the word I'd use to describe it."

She closed her eyes momentarily, trying to pick apart the emotions that had overwhelmed her when her mother left and she realized she wasn't coming back. It had taken about three weeks for the information to sink it, that her mother was really gone and never to return.

"I think I was in a state of shock. I didn't want to believe that she was gone."

There was a silence between them, waves crashing and the laughing children playing in the ocean was the only noise heard.

"What about your dad?" Gabriella asked out of the blue with sudden curiosity.

Chad shrugged. "What about him?"

"Where is he?"

"I have no idea. I've never met him. My mom said that he ditched when he found out that she was pregnant. The last she heard about him was that he remarried and had three kids," Chad told her with a slight frown on his face.

"He's missing out on knowing a great person," Gabriella told him with sincerity in her voice. Chad offered a friendly smile.

"Now I know why Troy likes you so much."

Gabriella finished off her ice cream cone, an obvious blush highlighting her cheeks. She felt the sunlight peek through the clouds, warming her skin as her eyes found Chad, a knowing smirk on his face.

"What?" Gabriella asked, as if she had no idea what he was talking about.

"You've got the hots for Troy-boy."

She groaned, knowing that he was going to mention Troy at least once in their conversation since they'd left Troy's house.

"Oh come on, you can tell the Chad. He won't tell another living soul."

"What's with the talking in third person?"

"You're changing the subject, Montez," Chad stated. Truthfully, he already knew that Gabriella liked Troy and that Troy felt the same way. Sharpay rambled about it all of the time, giving him more than an earful.

She rolled her eyes. "I don't feel comfortable talking to you about this."

"Why not?"

"You're his best friend."

Chad sighed. "Fine. But I'll tell you one thing.." He paused, his face serious. "Troy's a great guy. And I'm not just saying that because he's my best friend. I don't know what Sharpay has told you about him…but if she's said anything bad, I can assure you it's because she's held a small grudge against him since the first grade when he pulled her Barbie's head off."

Gabriella laughed, picturing the sight in her mind, seeing a younger version of Sharpay shierking at the top of her lungs, holding the doll's head in her hand.

"Wow."


	16. Mixed Signals and Marshmallows

I'm extremely sorry that it took me forever to get an update out.

This chapter isn't that long and isn't that special but I liked it.

Thanks so much for all the great reviews, please keep them coming.

I enjoyed writing this chapter **:)**

**Disclaimer** I don't own anything from High School Musical or anything other familiar name mentioned in this chapter

* * *

**Mixed Signals and Marshmallows**

_The greatest marshmallows are the ones that get a little burned, they have the best taste. But if you keep the marshmallow over the fire for too long, it melts and falls off the stick._

* * *

"Where is she…?"

It was just the three blind mice…the nickname Chad had given their group in the first grade since they always were with each other. He and Troy had been friends since preschool but when they had started kindergarten, they both met the extremely outgoing Sharpay. At first, they decided that she was annoying and that they were going to shun her, but she clung to them like a leech on bare skin.

She resembled a band groupie in many ways after she'd become obsessed with Chad. When he and Troy grew older and decided that girls weren't as gross as they had thought and that cooties were not a deadly disease, Chad learned to appreciate her a lot more.

Now it was like a 'three blind mice' reunion.

Sharpay sighed, plopping down on her boyfriend's couch, almost apprehensively as she shifted on the brown leather cushions. "This couch is _tainted_, right?" She asked, wondering if Haley and Daniel had ever engaged in any kind of physical activities at the Danforth house.

Troy groaned as Sharpay dodged his question once again. He was beginning to think that she was doing it purposely. He hadn't see Gabriella in two days except for a brief encounter at work, but there had only been a few words exchanged, such as 'hello' and 'goodbye'.

But he knew that Sharpay was keeping something from him.

Chad shrugged, munching on popcorn, the bowl situated on his lap as he flipped through the channels of his television selectively. "She has movie night," Chad told his friend, causing Troy's eyebrows to raise with curiosity.

"How would you even know?" Troy asked, trying not to let his jealousy be evident in his tone. He wanted to know how Chad had known about this and he hadn't. Troy wanted to be the one to know things such as this even if it had little importance.

Sharpay joined the conversation, "Easy, she told him."

"When?"

"We went to the beach the other day for a walk…when I took her home from your house."

Troy's eyes narrowed, not going unnoticed by Sharpay who watched her two friends, who were much more interesting than what was playing on the television, with amusement in her eyes. "How come I wasn't told about this?" Troy wondered out loud.

"Chill, Troy. It's not like you and Gabi are joined at the hip," Sharpay said, flicking some popcorn at him, trying to lighten the mood a little but had no such luck.

There was something obviously bothering Troy. Whenever something was bothering him it became completely noticeable to anyone with eyesight. His blue eyes darkened in an angry and mysterious way, his jaw clenched and his neck strained.

Chad shrugged, eating one of the pieces of thrown popcorn off of the couch. "I didn't think it was that big of a deal. I just wanted to talk to her about stuff."

Troy snorted. "Stuff?"

"Don't worry about it. It's none of your business," Chad stated because that was the truth. Troy didn't need to know that he and Gabriella had talked about their parents, their past, what they both hoped to come in the future. Chad believed that he and Gabriella had a breakthrough in their friendship, altogether strengthening the bond that they shared.

"I'm making it my business."

"Children, children," Sharpay scolded. She knew the conversation that had taken place between Chad and Gabriella. Gabriella had informed her, told her everything that had been going on after Sharpay exclaimed dramatically that she felt she was being left out.

"If you want to know what's going on, you're asking the wrong person. All we did was talk…I don't know why you're getting all bent out of shape about it-"

Sharpay gasped suddenly. "He's…jealous. Troy Bolton is jealous," She laughed wildly.

"I am not jealous."

"You so are!"

"No… I was just curious. I haven't talked to her in a few days and well-"

"You're going through Gabi withdraw?" Sharpay said with a knowing smile.

Troy slumped lower into the couch. He'd barely gotten a chance to say anything to her since she'd left his house two mornings ago. Withdraw isn't exactly what he would call it…more like anxious. He was anxious to see her again.

"Do you think…" Troy allowed his mind to trail off. Had he done something wrong? Perhaps he said something wrong? The last he had remembered was offering her a ride home but Chad shot him down quickly, saying that he wanted to. He thought back to the previous night at work. She had given him an annoyed look when she found him in the back of the kitchen, playing his guitar instead of helping clean up. But thought he had made up for that by sweeping the floors. "Do you think that maybe she's mad at me?"

"Oh no! That'd be completely out of the question," Sharpay gasped sarcastically, becoming bored and a little worried about her boyfriend's obsession with Tila Tequila. She switched the channel before he could protest, landing on _Spongebob Squarepants_.

"So she is mad?" Troy asked, rolling his eyes as Chad's lit up with excitement after he had shouted how this was his favorite episode.

Sharpay was not amused either so she switched to the _Discovery Channel_, earning a groan from Chad.

"I wouldn't necessarily say that she's mad… more like confused."

"Why would she be confused?"

Chad groaned once again, feeling left out in the conversation.

"If we're going to be talking about her the whole time we might as well tell her to come over," Chad said, his eyes widening while watching the documentary about different kind of sharks.

Troy glanced at Chad, his eyes threatening, his own way of telling him to shut his mouth. He wanted answers and he was going to get them no matter what it took. "Why is she confused?" He repeated himself, but this time a lot more slower.

"One of the most important rules in the girl code is to never tell a boy what we've talked about," Sharpay stated as if it were the most sacred and obvious rule in the world.

But Troy had no patience for this. Girl code or not, he would find out.

"I don't care if you swore on the life of your _Prada_ backpack," Troy said, earning a shocked gasp from Sharpay.

"My lips are sealed."

"Shar, stop playing with his fire," Chad warned, never even pealing his eyes away from the television. "You're like a marshmallow."

"What?! How am I like a _marshmallow_?!"

"You see," He used his best explaining voice, as if what he were saying made perfect sense. "Troy's the fire and you're the marshmallow being roasted. The greatest marshmallows are the ones that get a little burned, they have the best taste. But if you keep the marshmallow over the fire for too long, it melts and falls off the stick."

Sharpay scoffed. "I've got to say, that's the worst comparison I've ever heard leave your mouth and trust me, there's been many!"

He put his head in his hands, groaning. "Why can't we be peaceful with each other and watch this documentary about the ocean's predators?"

It was both Sharpay and Troy's turn to stare at him, making him feel exposed and suddenly uncomfortable.

"Fine, you two can continue to bicker but I'm going to get more food," Chad left the room, muttering something to himself like 'where is the love?'.

"I can't believe my boyfriend called me a marshmallow," She mumbled after she was sure he couldn't hear them.

"Can you please just tell me what's going on with Gabriella?" Troy asked, sounding desperate as he brought up the subject once more. He was practically pleading with her.

She let loose a long exaggerated sigh. "There's not much to tell you, Troy. She's confused, can you really blame her?"

"But why?"

"You're pretty much the king when it comes to sending mixed signals. She doesn't know what you want from her and frankly, I think she's growing tired of your game. Well, at least I am," Sharpay confided in her friend. "She doesn't deserve it."

Troy swallowed the lump that had formed in the back of his throat. "I know."

"I say you go crash her movie night," Chad advised interrupting the serious conversation that he had barely heard, several bags of chips and other snack food in his hands.

"Why would I do that?"

He shrugged. "She said she had movie nights with her dad sometimes…where they just bummed around and watched back to back classics.." Chad told Sharpay and Troy, watching as Troy's eyes widened, wondering how Chad had known this and he hadn't.

"Why would he want to crash that? Don't you think that would be a little awkward considering the first time Mr. Montez and Troy met?" Sharpay pointed out. Chad felt his body shiver at the thought.

"Didn't either of you notice that my mom isn't home and that the diner is closed? That only means one thing. She's most likely out with Daniel…"

"And Brie's home alone," Troy said, putting the pieces together, stranding from the couch, reaching for the coffee table to get his keys which he had thrown there after sitting down. He left the house quickly, leaving Sharpay and Chad to hear his truck's engine being turned on, and the crackle of the gravel in the driveway as he pulled out.

"That was a quick reaction," Sharpay said, pulling a piece of popcorn out of Chad's afro.

"Yeah…like a true _Spiderman_," Chad laughed.


	17. Closer

I could not resist using the Jonas Brother lyrics.

Sorry about the late updates, I'm enjoying the last of my summer.

Don't hate me for this chapter **:P**

**Disclaimer** I don't own HSM and any of its characters or the lyrics to the Jonas Brother's song 'Can't Have You'

* * *

**Closer**

_"I don't wanna fall asleep  
Don't know if I'll get up  
Don't wanna cause a scene  
But I'm dyin' without your love  
Begging to hear your voice  
Tell me you love me too  
'Cause I'd rather just be alone  
If I know that I can't have you."_

* * *

She hadn't really minded at the time.

Her father was getting his life back, and for that, she couldn't complain.

Sure, they hadn't been spending a lot of time together since the move, but Gabriella was thankful that she now had close friends and in a way…her father did too. Besides, it wasn't like he'd completely bailed on her. Daniel made sure that Gabriella was fine with him skipping their movie night to hang out with Haley. There was simply no other time for them, since Haley was always busy at the diner and Daniel busy with his own work. Gabriella figured she'd be fine watching one or two movies by herself.

She sorted through the box filled with old videos that hadn't been unpacked yet, and sat in the corner of their living room. The titles seemed boring and Gabriella slowly began to lose interest in watching any movies. She was about to ditch the idea entirely and call Sharpay to see what she was up to just as something caught her eye.

It was a blank video, no label on the front of it.

Being aware of almost every home made video that they owned, such as some birthday parties, first time riding a bike, and holidays, the blank video caused her to bite her bottom lip, her eyes narrowing in confusion as she studied the tape.

Glancing around the empty living room, she felt as though the video was confidential. Realizing that no one was in the house except her, she put it into their old VCR, situating herself on the couch, pulling a blanket over her.

Gabriella watched as a baby's face lit up the screen. Not just any baby, her.

_It wasn't much of a celebration, but Daniel wanted to have something special. _

_The only people who were there were himself and his parents. _

"_Gabi baby, smile." The nurturing voice of Daniel's mother, Jennifer Montez cooed from behind the video camera._

"_Mom please stop torturing her," a much younger version of Daniel called out from the kitchen, obviously busy. The nineteen-year-old dialed the number once more, frustrated, before hanging the phone up loudly when he hadn't gotten an answer once again. _

The camera focused on him as he tiredly raked a shakey hand through his hair.

_Sensing his son's distress, Carlos Montez walked by, patting his oblivious granddaughter's head as he passed._

"_She's not coming is she?" _

Gabriella studied the expressions on both her father and grandfather's faces.

_Daniel shrugged, acting as though things like this never happened, though they almost always did. "She's busy, trying to get a job or something…"_

Gabriella heard her grandmother sigh from behind the video camera.

_His parents weren't buying it, Daniel could tell by the weary expressions on their faces. He glanced at his daughter who was smiling, giggling at nothing in particular, not even knowing that her own mother would not come to her first birthday party. The sight of Gabriella was enough to put a small smile on his face before he groaned, "Please Mom, turn that off."_

The picture on the television went fuzzy as the video footage shut off, leaving Gabriella speechless. She'd never even asked about her first birthday when she hadn't seen it on any other tape. Never had she actually wondered about it until now.

Her thoughts were interrupted when the television screen lit up once again, but this time it was something completely different. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the setting, the darkness on the screen contrasting with the darkness of her living room.

Then she could see stars in the night sky, hearing the shuffling of fans as they carefully made their way down the bleachers surrounding the football stadium at East High School.

"_Eh, how do you fix the zoom on the thing?"_

Gabriella recognized the familiar voice. It was younger but still the same.

"_There we go!" Haley exclaimed with success as she fixed the old camera's zoom to the football field "Better late than never," She mumbled as East High's football team was leaving the field. Even though the game was long over, Haley directed the camera's view to the scoreboard. _

_East High- 24, West High- 14._

"_And Danny boy leads East to another victory once again!"_

"_Please," He groaned as he climbed the bleachers that had been cleared out, carrying his equipment. _

"_Someone has to brag for Mr. Modesty," She teased. _

_Daniel's joking expression became hard as his eyes searched around. "Where's Michelle?"_

_Haley set the camera down beside her but forgot to turn it off. "She stopped by for a few minutes in the first quarter. She wanted me to tell you that she wasn't feeling well."_

_He mumbled something under his breath. Something that sounded like 'yeah right'. _

"_Hey, hey Wildcat," Haley chirped cheerfully, picking up the camera once more, rising from the bleachers, turning to camera to her own face. _

Gabriella felt a smile tug at the corners of her mouth. Yes, she was _exactly_ the same Haley that she was today, only in her teenage years.

_Her face glowed with pride for her best friend after he'd led the football team to another victory as quarterback. _

"_You played an awesome game, so get happy," She jokingly demanded._

_She redirected the camera on Daniel once again, a half smile finding its way on his face. _

The video ended as the camera was clicked off once more, and that was when Gabriella realized that Michelle, her mother, had _never_ really been there. Not for her, not for her father.

Gabriella sighed, flipping the television back to regular cable where there was a documentary on sharks.

And she thought of Troy and the time he'd convinced her a shark was brushing against her leg.

Every little thing made her think of him.

Yawning, Gabriella buried her face deeper into one of the couch's pillows, feeling her eyes grow heavy as she became comfortable.

She was so close to sleep she didn't even hear the knock on the front door.

Troy shoved his hands deep in his jean pockets, suddenly becoming nervous.

After waiting five minutes and the door still was closed, Troy peaked into the window, wondering if he looked like some kind of stalker to her neighbors or anyone else that drove by.

But he didn't care.

He could only see the flicking colors from the television, watching the very same shark documentary.

Troy almost let out a laugh but then he saw her.

Her hair tussled from sleep, her eyes closed, old pajamas wrinkled, he couldn't think of a time she looked more beautiful. But every time Troy saw Gabriella that was what he thought.

Knocking on the door once again, he was past the point of caring if he woke her. He wanted…no, needed to talk to her.

She didn't even stir.

Suppressing a groan, Troy smiled when he got a sudden idea. Pulling out his cell phone, he dialed the familiar number, hearing the ringtone go off from inside the house as he listened to the dialtone on his own phone. Groggily, she rose from the couch, rubbing at her brown eyes tiredly, sitting up straight on the couch. She allowed her eyes to adjust, just staring out into space when she realized that the ringing was not imaginary, and was indeed, her cell.

Scrambling from the couch, she raced to the dining room where she had left the phone on the table, hoping that it was Sharpay who wanted to come save her from dying of boredom. She almost gasped when she read Troy's name on caller I.D. Gabriella combed her fingers through her hair as if she was worried that he could see what she looked like by talking to her on the phone.

"Hello?" Gabriella tried her hardest not to sound like she'd just woken up.

"Brie, you home?" Troy asked the question that he already knew the answer to. She nodded, forgetting momentarily that he could not see her.

"Ye- Yeah," She stammered. Gabriella had forgotten how much she loved hearing the sound of his voice.

"Would you mind keeping me company for awhile..?" Troy tried to sound casual.

Gabriella was about to answer his question when she heard a knock at the door. "Nope, I wouldn't mind at all…could you hold on a second?" She reentered the living room and made her way to answer the front door.

Fumbling with the door knob, Gabriella managed to open the door to find Troy with a sheepish grin on his face. With her mouth agape, she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear in confusion, looking down at the phone in her hand. "But you, I, what?"

Troy shrugged off the jumbled questions, stepping inside, past the open door. "What are you doing tonight?"

"Nothing anymore, I guess," Gabriella said, shutting her phone and tossing it on to her couch.

Troy smirked. "What? Were you busy or something…because I can leave."

"No!" She said quickly in almost a yelp causing Troy to chuckle lightly. "I was just sleeping," she admitted.

"So? You can do that with me-" He paused what he was saying when he realized what he implied. Troy's cheeks became a dull shade of red with heat.

Shaking her head slowly, laughing, Gabriella tugged on his hand. "Then I will," She stated, ignoring his embarrassment. She allowed herself to get comfortable once more on the couch, then patted the space next to her.

"So what are we watching?" He asked after he had sat down and put an arm around Gabriella's shoulder to pull her in closer as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

"Some shark thing," She mumbled, feeling tired all over again as she leaned her head on his shoulder.

"Wait, wait," Troy shook her gently. "I actually wanted to talk to you."

He didn't want her to fall asleep. He needed to do this now. But her eyes were already drifting shut. Gabriella shook her head, timidly lowering her head to his lap, as Troy squirmed, trying to make her more comfortable. Almost as if going against his own desires, Troy stroked her curly hair, tucking away strands behind her ear, lulling her to sleep.

"Brie," He said, his voice soft. Leaning down, he brushed his lips across her forehead, earning a smile from Gabriella and he knew she was still awake. "What…" Troy paused, feeling a sudden curiosity hit him like a ton of bricks. "I mean..what happened to your..mom?"

Seeing the pain flash in her amber eyes made him immediately regret asking. He felt her become tense beneath him.

All he got was a simple two word reply.

"She's gone."

He swallowed harshly. "Gone like..de-"

"No," Gabriella didn't allow him to finish, knowing where he was going with it. Her mother was not dead. "She left."

Gently, Troy rubbed his thumb over her cheek as a gentle caress while he peered down at her, not sure what he could say or do to get rid of the painful emotion that raged like a storm in her eyes.

"Can we uh," Gabriella was the first to break the silence, her voice small and weak, "..talk about something else?"

The sapphire eyes lit up as he got an idea.

"Yeah sure," Troy supplied quickly. "Let's talk about us."

And all was out in the open.

Gabriella felt her breath catch in her throat and she assumed Troy could tell that she had stopped breathing. "What about _us_?" She finally managed to choke out.

"Well I've been thinking…"

"About?"

"You," Troy stated boldly as she gazed up at him from where her head was nestled in his lap. "Being with you, everything about you."

And with that being said, Gabriella felt a smile grace over her lips.

"Gabriella…" Troy was going to speak again but was interrupted by the door opening and Haley and Daniel walking inside.

Daniel's eyes sighted the pair right away, becoming relieved that there was no kind of _activity_ going on. Haley only shook her head, laughing lightly before muttering to herself, "Deja vu, much?"


	18. Look After You

Hey I am so so so so so so so so sorry.

I can't apologize enough. I got a brand new computer

and it took absolutely forever to get microsoft word again.

Anyway, here's an update.

**Disclaimer** I don't own lyrics to Katy Perry's 'I Kissed a Girl', My Favorite Highway's 'You're making it Come Alive', or The Fray's 'Look After You'

Oh and of course, I don't own anything associated with High School Musical.

* * *

**Look After You**

_Life flies by so you have to embrace it, forget the past because you cannot erase it. So live the dream, and learn to chase it, and when you can almost taste it, it's all come alive_.

* * *

And he was slowly losing hope, though that was something that he hated to admit. There had been so many opportunities to ask her, so many that he kept trying to take, and yet…she still wasn't his.

Yes, she was basically, but not officially. That's what he wanted…no. That's what he needed.

It almost pained him physically.

Troy had been avoiding her purposely for the past few days, only catching sight of her briefly at work before he made any kind of excuse to leave. The truth was that he was afraid of being alone with her because he knew that he wanted to ask the question but whenever he went to ask, there was bound to be an interruption. So basically, he wasn't asking because he feared for not only what the answer may be but he also worried about how they'd be interrupted next.

Tonight, she wasn't expected to be at work. Troy knew this of course and that was why he came into the diner that night to raise some leisure money for himself. But when he went into the diner, late that night, there was something about the eeriness in the diner that lead him to believe that there was some sort of set up. He allowed his eyes to travel around the empty diner, a few chairs not pulled up on the table so that the floors could be mopped, and some tables were waiting to be cleaned. The lights were dimmed and so far, Troy couldn't tell if there was anyone else working that night, which was something he found oddly strange.

Haley would've told him if he was working solo tonight.

Something wasn't adding up.

Chad wouldn't have said that he was planning on earning some money to take Sharpay out if he wasn't coming in to work.

And then something clicked in his mind.

Sharpay.

This was her doing. The perfect diner setup, the sense of he and Gabriella having any kind of alone time screamed _Sharpay_ to him.

It had to have been her who planned out this entire night. He should've known. Something seemed all too thought out. Now the puzzles pieces were beginning to fall into place.

She'd mentioned casually throughout the week that she was strongly against him avoiding Gabriella. The thought made him wonder if Gabriella actually knew that she was being avoided.

Well of course she did. She knew everything. It was almost as if she had a sixth sense.

Troy sighed, advancing further into the diner, trying to figure out where he should begin with his work. Lazily, he began wondering why he'd even showed up. He didn't feel like doing anything tonight. He would've been fine with just laying at home, watching a basketball game.

That was when he saw her.

She hadn't known of his presence in the diner. Maybe if he was quiet he'd be able to sneak out, unnoticed. Distracted by the blaring noise coming from her headphones, Gabriella would probably not even hear him. But there was something that held him back from running. As she wiped at the tables, he could see the visible frustration in her eyes and the way her hair fell from where it was tucked behind her ears, falling in front of her face, it made her look more vulnerable than ever.

What had he done?

She scrubbed furiously, until she was sure the table would split apart from the force, just like it had in those old childish cartoons she used to watch. No matter what she did, the table didn't look clean enough. It wasn't half as pretty as the other tables.

Or maybe her mind was just tricking her.

Gabriella groaned, the music she was listening to was beginning to get on her last nerve, every word of every line to every single song…reminded her of him. The boy who had stolen her heart and put it on a shelf. The boy that had convinced her that wasn't what he was doing. The boy that she had figured was finally coming around.

The boy who had to just go and do something like this.

Oh, how she should have seen it coming.

There was nothing worse in the entire world than the silent treatment.

And finally, she snapped, wildly launching the cleaning rag across the diner, only to hear it make a 'splat' sound against the wall. It was enough to drive her mad. Gabriella let out a small laugh, cautiously at first, which turned into hysterics. She was laughing so hard that she doubled over on the floor, sliding on her knees.

Little did she know the very person that was on her mind was watching her in awe.

He wasn't sure if he should say anything. After all, he was witnessing a breakdown, a side of Gabriella he'd never seen before. And though he could tell that she was in pain, he couldn't help but feel slightly amused.

He had only one option.

Troy suddenly coughed, purposely, making it sound like those cheesy acting coughs because it was.

He'd expected her to be startled.

He was wrong.

Gabriella angled her face; her dark curls falling over her shoulders, and her eyes more piercing than Troy had ever seen before. Recollecting herself, she smoothed the navy blue apron that was on top of her

"Leave."

Troy thought he had misheard. His face scrunched up, flabbergasted. "Excuse me?" Of course, he hadn't meant to sound so smug, it was just like an automatic reaction.

His tone of voice didn't bother her at all, though. Gabriella rolled her eyes, rising to her feet, brushing off her jeans in the knee area. "You heard me, I don't want you here. I'll clean everything, I'll tell Haley that you helped. You'll get paid, everyone wins."

"But-"

"No," Gabriella cut him off briskly. "That way I make this easier for you," she muttered, obviously referring to the 'pay-no-mind' game Troy played with her, "..and for me," Gabriella added, a lot more quieter.

She straightened out her white spaghetti-strap tank top, as if composing herself, inhaling deeply.

"Brie-"

"Please," She pleaded.

"Gab-"

Gabriella exhaled, her face returning to its normal color instead of red. "Just drop it," she said, returning to cleaning, indicating that she had dropped it herself.

Troy was shocked.

Literally feeling as though he'd been hit with a ton of bricks.

He'd really messed up this time. There was nothing he could do.

Gabriella was crushed.

But she wasn't going to let it show anymore.

All she cared about was enjoying the rest of her summer whether it was with Troy ignoring her or not.

If they only knew that was going through each other's minds…

Troy couldn't be without her.

Troy drew in a sharp breath, fearing for himself after making the decision to stay. Without another word, he stalked off to the cleaning supply closet and Gabriella seemed as though she didn't care what he did anymore. He leaned against the wall inside of the closet, making sure he was out of her sight before he let out a series of unwavering breaths.

What had just happened?

This wasn't registering in his mind. Was Gabriella trying to tell him in her own way that she was done with him…done with them? His grip on the broom was becoming unbearably tight and painful. Troy waited a few moments before he reentered where Gabriella was busily cleaning. Feeling a new sense of calm, he turned on the speaker system, tuning into a radio station, ignoring the angry glares from her as she put away her iPod now that she could no longer hear her own music.

Troy smirked in satisfaction.

"You're enjoying this."

It wasn't a question, Troy knew. He shrugged, playing it cool, trying to only hear the music playing. "This is a good song," Troy responded, listening to the beginning of the song that was becoming a big summer hit, turning the volume up even higher, making Gabriella's brown eyes narrow.

"Please turn this crap off."

He shook his head, biting his lip to prevent his laughter from escaping. Never had he really experienced this side of Gabriella. He'd be lying if he said that he didn't appreciate her attitude. He simply continued sweeping as Gabriella raced to where the remote for the speakers were. But Troy quickly cut her off, standing in her way, stopping any further movement or advancement toward the speakers.

"This isn't a game Troy!" Gabriella snapped, reaching for the remote.

He sang along obnoxiously, "_I kissed a girl and I liked it_."

"Stop!"

"_The taste of her cherry chap stick_," Troy sang even louder, watching Gabriella's face become tomato read. She pushed against him, her attempts seemly pathetic against his strong frame. She only tried harder to receive the remote, struggling to pry it from his grasp until they were both face to face, chest to chest, out of breath, realizing what position they were in.

And the struggle stopped.

Suddenly, as if all other thoughts were abandoned in her mind, Gabriella gripped the front of Troy's red and white striped polo, holding onto it was if it were her lifeline.

They hadn't even paid any attention as the song ended, a new one beginning. Gabriella was breathing heavily, her gaze transfixed on his eyes that danced with sudden confidence.

Yet, he was still feeling obnoxious.

Troy pulled away, grabbing the broom, using it as a fake microphone stand; the new song that had begun playing was familiar to him.

"_If I don't say this now_…"

"Troy."

"_I will surely break_."

"Stop."

This only provoked him more. "_As I'm leaving the world I want to take. Forgive the urgency, but hurry up and wait. My heart has started to separate_."

Then his cheesy crooning voice, died down, becoming nothing but serious as he stepped closer to her, dropping the broom completely, gripping her waist, pulling her flush against him. "_Oh, oh, oh, be my baby. Oh, oh, oh. Be my baby, I'll look after you_," Troy's voice dropped into a low whisper, his head nestled itself near her shoulder, murmuring the lyrics into her ear. "_There now, steady love, so few come and don't go. Will you won't you, be the one I always know. When I'm losing my control, the city spins around. You're the only one who knows, you slow it down_."

Gabriella was speechless, and slowly surrendering to him as he huskily whispered the song's chorus in her ear again, placing a gentle kiss beneath her earlobe before starting the next verse to the song.

"_If ever there was a doubt, my love she leans into me. This most assuredly counts, she says most assuredly_."

His words were being drowned out.

This was a dream, she kept telling herself. Someone was about to walk in the door, somehow, this incredible dream would come to an abrupt end, she thought.

She made a promise to herself that she'd be strong around him. But how could she…when he was whispering the words to a song…the lyrics causing her heart to convulse. And she felt weak, the only thing to steady her was Troy's tight grip on her waist.

"_It's always have and never hold. You've begun to feel like home. What's mine is yours to leave or take. What's mine is yours to make your own_."

She pulled away slightly, only to look into his cobalt eyes, seeing nothing but the truth.

Troy knew, at that very moment that he'd happily die for the girl in front of him. He was unmistakably, head-over-heels in love with her. He realized he had no right to be angry with Gabriella for the constant interruptions whenever he tried to ask her out. It wasn't her fault and it wasn't like she had planned on it. Gabriella was just as eager as he was.

Troy closed his eyes, pressing his forehead to hers, the last lines of the song barely coherent. "_Oh, oh, oh. Oh, oh, oh. Be my baby. Oh, oh, oh_."

Without warning, Gabriella clung to him, easily wrapping her slender legs around his waist, allowing him to fully support her as he anchored her head to kiss her with such passion that it stunned him. It was intoxicating, addictive, as their lips moved together, creating an incredible friction that neither could resist.

Troy nibbled lightly on Gabriella's bottom lip, seeking to claim her tongue with his own. She complied immediately, parting her lips as an invitation which he greedily excepted. The force of his kiss was so strong, Gabriella knew she would have fallen if it hadn't been for Troy holding her, clutching her.

Her fingers dug into the small light brown hairs on the back of his neck, attempting to pull him closer as if it were a possible. Troy stumbled backwards, into one of the booths, carefully moving himself so that he could nestle Gabriella beneath him. He wasted no time in connecting his lips to her jaw, moving them from behind her ear then down her neck. Troy nibbled gently at the sensitive tendons of her neck searching for that one particular spot. He smirked against her neck in response to her low moan that she let out when he succeded in finding her weak spot.

"Troy," She gasped, tangling her fingers in his caramel hair, holding his head to her neck. Troy felt his breath catch in his throat as he hovered over her, never seeing Gabriella's chocolate eyes look that lust-filled before.

"This is…" Gabriella began, speaking low, breathlessly.

Troy awaited her answer, pulling away only briefly.

"Gross," She laughed, thinking of how many people most have sat in the same booth before.

He smiled, his posture changing completely as he pulled Gabriella out of the booth by holding both of her hands. Then he sat back down in the booth, sliding in the the very end that he was up against the window. Troy leaned his back against the window, his arms extending, reaching for her. She smiled understanding, and climbed next to him. Gabriella couldn't help but laugh as Troy held on to her, her back to his chest, struggling to get comfortable in the compacted booth. The infectious sound of her laughter made him hold onto her tighter, latching on to her tightly, afriad to let go of the person that he felt like he'd almost just lost a few minutes ago.

There was silence, the only sounds were the music streaming from the speakers and the sounds of Gabriella and Troy's even breathing. Seconds passed, seconds turning into minutes, minutes feeling like hours.

"Hey," Gabriella said slowly, breaking the silence suddenly. "It's raining."

Sure enough, Troy could hear the pitter-patter of the raindrops on the window behind him. The mention of rain reminded him of the one night that they'd danced without any music, using the thunder to guide them. That was the night that he should've asked her. Troy knew that he was waiting entirely too long.

He'd never felt like this before. Usually, no one could keep him from trying to accomplish a goal. But then again, Gabriella wasn't a goal…and whenever he was around her he felt intimidiated, slightly afraid and always on his feet, not knowing what to expect, what would happen next.

And he loved it.

"Yeah…" He said timidly, reaching for her hands, peering over her shoulders to look down at their hands as they intertwined. It looked so natural.

Gabriella could practically feel him fighting a battle within himself. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing..just thinking."

"About..?"

He sighed, squeezing her hands gently. "You."

Gabriella flushed, turning in the booth so that she was now sitting on Troy's lap facing front, the correct way, as Troy continued to sit sideways. "Why?"

"Because you're all I ever think about these days."

The answer was so simple, so truthful, it surprised him that he'd been able to admit it so easily. She opened her mouth to speak but Troy cut her off swiftly.

"I don't know why fate's against us," Troy whispered, adding a dry laugh. "But I'm pretty sure we're alone now."

Gabriella nodded, not finding any strength to help her speak at the moment. She knew that he was thinking that at any moment someone would come bounding through the doors, ruining their moment alone. But the diner remained silent, undisturbed. Troy sighed, knowing that it really was just him and Gabriella, how he wanted it to be.

"You still with me?" Troy asked, lightening the mood after Gabriella continued to remain mute. She nodded once again and he sighed. "I didn't expect it to be this way."

"What way?" She finally spoke, her voice no louder than a whisper.

Troy squeezed one of her hands, trying to show what he meant. "This way. I never thought that I'd ever feel like this…about someone else. I know that this is cliché, but I can honestly say that you've changed me, Gabriella Montez. And yeah, I also know that I'd never intended for me to be asking this while we're jampacked into a booth, hell, if I had my way I would've asked sooner…" Troy paused, realising that he was rambling. "I would say that 'you had me at hello' but that'd be a lie because I never even got to the hello part."

She was now watching him intently, trying to make sense of what he was telling her.

"If I recall correctly I said 'wow'." Troy laughed lightly shaking his head, avoiding I contact. "You're just so incredibly gorgeous…"

"Troy."

Gabriella's face was red with embarassment as she ended Troy's rant. He leaned forward to kiss her, but instead, ended up feeling her hot cheek beneath his lips.

"I guess what I'm trying to say is…be mine. Only mine, Brie. I want to be able to tell people that I'm with you. I want to be able to kiss you whenever I want. I just want you," Troy stated, his voice serious, his face hard.

She'd never seen his eyes so deeply pure before and there, in his very eyes, she knew that needed to be said.


	19. Risk

Sorry, sorry, sorry.

I've been too busy, really.

This chapter is extremely short, basically a filler.

**Disclaimer** I don't own anything HSM

* * *

**Risk**

If you were to look up the word risk, its definition would say hazard: a source of danger; a possibly of inccuring loss or misfortune. This mostly involves what you'd think is danger. Maybe they should clarify it as two kinds of risks. One could involve hazards while another could involve putting your feelings on the line. Or maybe, just maybe that's what taking chances are for.

* * *

"Troy."

He squinted, the bright sunlight stinging his sensitive eyes momentarily before he blinked a few times, adjusting to the new day. "Hm?" He mumbled, bringing his hand to his face to rub at his eyes, yawning as the feeling of exhaustion washed over him.

She leaned down, kissing his jaw until she reached the corner of his lips, giggling lightly when she felt his lips curl into a small smile. "Wake up," she whispered, smoothing out the strands of hair that fell in front of his eyes, brushing it back with her finger tips.

"Gab…" He yawned once more, trying to situate himself comfortably in the front seat of his truck but found it difficult with her laying on top of him, sprawled out with extreme comfort. "Shit," he exclaimed suddenly as realization set in and he noticed that there was indeed, sunlight, a new day.

"What's wrong?"

"Didn't you have to be home, I don't know, earlier?" Troy sat up straight, and so did she as he moved, taking her with him.

Gabriella shrugged, "Probably."

"Probably?"

"My mind's elsewhere…" She smiled a genuine smile that he returned, resting his warm hand on her cheek. He bent his head, brushing his lips across her lips tiredly, glad that he could do just that anytime he wanted to, without needing an excuse.

Troy smirked. "Really, elsewhere?"

Gabriella turned so that she could be face to face with him, her knees falling on both sides of his hips, her forehead pressed against his. "Miles and _miles_ away."

* * *

_"I've changed you?"_

_"Well yea-"_

_Gabriella held a finger to his lips, not needing to hear anymore. "You see the thing is, you changed me. Before, I was pessimistic about moving. Never in a million years had I thought that I'd ever be an 'east coaster'. I would've shut out the world, Troy. I would've been alone, and never would I have even received the chance to show people who I really am. Never in my life have I been so open with people and to be honest, it scares me."_

_Troy frowned slightly swallowing the lump that had formed in his throat, his hand holding hers as his thumb moved over her knuckles, one by one. "…Scared?"_

_"Maybe not scared," Gabriella frowned also, trying to find the correct word to describe how she was feeling but she knew that she never could. "Maybe vulnerable. I feel like if you suggested cliff diving tomorrow, I'd be all for it. Anything for you."_

_The frown disappeared but his anxiousness never faded, he feared her rejection, he had since he'd met her._

_"It's just that, I never thought I'd be happy after leaving my childhood home. I thought I'd be depressed here but now, I can't picture any other place I'd rather be, miles and miles away from Albuquerque, here, with you."_

_Gabriella's brown eyes shined as Troy intently gazed into them, his hand now interlocked with her own, squeezing lightly. "So is that a…?"_

_She laughed lightly, shaking her head, blowing her hair from her eyes. "It's a yes, Troy. I'd love to be yours, only yours and I'd love to be able to call you mine."_

_Troy couldn't help but stare at her dreamily, adoringly. He pressed a kiss to her temple, smiling widely. "Then I'm yours."_

* * *

Troy pulled the car keys out of the ignition, letting the silence take over the truck. "I'm sorry about keeping you out almost all night." He apologized for what had to be the twentieth time.

Gabriella sighed but smiled anyway. "It's fine really."

She didn't remember much about the night before after they had locked up the diner. They'd planned on driving around for awhile when he pulled into an empty parking lot, talking amongst each other, leaving the car radio turned on to a low volume, the sound merely just background music. Before she even knew it, she'd fallen asleep and Troy followed after her.

"Your dad's going to kill me, isn't he?"

Gabriella could almost laugh at the look of fear and uncertainty in his blue eyes. "No, he owes me anyway."

"Owes you?"

"We're not quite on solid ground yet."

Troy nodded, understanding. "So basically, you're getting your penny's worth."

She shrugged. "Walk in on your parents, you'd use it to your advantage, too."

He cringed, the sight he pictured for less than a second disturbing him greatly. "Thanks, Gab. Thanks for burning that nightmare into my mind."

"Hey, at least it didn't happen to you," She laughed, unbuckling her seat belt. She looked out in front of her as a silence took over. "So…"

"I'll see you later today?" Troy finished for her. "You could come over to my place, watch a few movies..."

Nodding eagerly, Gabriella bit her bottom lip. "Then…later tonight?"

Troy nodded. Though he wouldn't admit to anyone, his mind was elsewhere, trapped in an unwritten song. He had the words in his head but for some reason, they refused to be written onto paper. The same rhythm and beat hadn't left his mind in over a week. All he wanted to do was sit and try to figure it out. "I'll call you before. I'll pick you up."

Gabriella could tell that this wasn't negotiable. She nodded, leaning over and planting a kiss on his cheek. "See you around," She beamed at him as she climbed out of his truck.

He smiled to himself, watching her retreating back as she turned and waved before entering her house. Troy felt as though his cheeks would hurt soon if he kept this up. Suddenly, his thoughts were no longer just thoughts, they were spoken feelings and Gabriella was his.


End file.
